Washington Life Magazine - June 2007

THE WEALTH ISSUE JUNE

WA S H I N G TO N ’S P R E M I E R LUXU RY L I F E S T Y L E M AG A Z I N E S I N C E 1 9 9 1

S P E C I A L R E P O R T

WL’S WEALTH LIST MILLION TO BILLION WHO HAS IT AND WHO GIVES IT AWAY THE FIRST IN A TWO-PART SERIES

WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY

A GUIDE TO ALL THE MOST EXLCUSIVE EVENTS

SOCIAL REVENGE

A SHORT SHORT STORY

BY JANE STANTON HITCHCOCK

GOLDMAN SACHS’ ROBERT HORMATS ON THE PRICE OF LIBERTY

J U N E 2 0 0 7 • $3.95

WASHINGTON LIFE

AMERICA’S CUP OF POLO BILL PRESS JOHN ROBERTS & STEVE SCULLY ON THE WH CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOC DINNER MICHAEL KORS AT MARYMOUNT

PAGES OF FASHION WEALTH AND LUXURY REAL ESTATE

AR TI ES

PLUS

WL’S FINANCIAL ROUNDTABLE WITH ED MATHIAS MICHAEL HARRELD

PAUL VEITH AND CURTIN WINSOR

EX ES C ,P L AR US TI IV ES E ,P !

BUT IS IT TOO BIG? BY ROLAND FLAMINI

PA RT I

DOMINGO PUTS ON WAGNER’S RING

We couldn't be happier to name names.

Azzedine AlaĂŻa Akris Balenciaga Roberto Cavalli ChloĂŠ Escada Etro Jean Paul Gaultier Carolina Herrera Christian Lacroix Rena Lange Alexander McQueen Loro Piana Emilio Pucci Yves Saint Laurent Valentino Plus dozens more.

5510 Wisconsin Avenue 301.652.2250

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PERFORMING ARTS

IS “THE RING� TOO BIG FOR THE WNO? ROLAND FLAMINI EXPLORES

WL’S WEALTH LIST PART ONE

WHO HAS IT? AND WHO GIVES IT AWAY?

EVENT FEATURE

INSIDE THE AMERICA’S CUP OF POLO WITH TAREQ SALAHI AND DEBBIE NASH

MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

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THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION DINNER WEEKEND

FEATURES SOCIETY

A Washington Dinner Party

by Jane Stanton Hitchcock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

POP POLITICS Price of Liberty

by Robert Hormats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FINANCIAL ROUNDTABLE Mathias, Harreld, Veith and Winsor on wealth management in Washington . . .

FASHION & BEAUTY

WL FASHION Polo looks at Great Meadow. . . . . . . .

TREND REPORT

Bold & Brilliant, Poetic & Pastel, Clever & Contrast . . . . .

PORTFOLIO IN MOTION

Michael Kors and Ginger Laytham at Marymount U . . . .

WHAT’S HOT

Pop Rocks – Worldly Gifts for the World’s best Dad . . . .

COLUMNS

HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC A tribute to Jack Valenti with Janet Donovan and Lloyd Hand . . . . . . . . . . . .

ART AND AUCTION with Renee Drake . . . . . . .

HISTORICAL LANDSCAPES with Donna Evers . .

OVER THE MOON with Vicky Moon . . . . . . . .

THIS TOWN with Michael Strange . . . . . . . . . . .

ON THE COVER Steve Case, Dan Snyder, David Bradley, Theresa Heinz Kerry,

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Mitch Rales, Jeong Kim, Sheila Johnson, Ted Lerner, Bob Johnson and Cathy Hughes. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The orchestra at the Washington National Opera under the direction of Hans Fricke; Bar set by Tiany ($2,340). Tiany, The Collection at Chevy Chase, 5481 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland., 301657-8777; Rima Al-Sabah and Nancy Pelosi at Marvin Hamlisch’s recent birthday celebration at the Kuwait residence; Tareq Salahi saddles up at the America’s Cup of Polo (Photo credit: Zaid Hamid.)

38 DEPARTMENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SOCIAL CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FYIDC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WHO’S NEXT Ada Polla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EVENT SPOTLIGHT The Freer & Sackler Galleries .

WL SPONSORED EVENTS

Washington Ballet Noche Latina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Best Friends’ Rockin’ at the Ritz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Phillips Collection 85th Anniversary. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WL EXCLUSIVES

Marvin Hamlisch Birthday Celebration . . . . . . . . .

Salvatore Licitra Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LIFE OF THE PARTY

National Women in the Arts Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kennedy Center Spring Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jane and Calvin Cafritz Spring Fling . . . . . . . . . . .

Ali Wentworth’s “Headcase” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Virignia Gold Cup Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY

Parties, Parties, Parties! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Boys & Girls Club Congressional Dinner . . . . . . . . . .

NIGHTLIFE Lotus Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AROUND TOWN with Donna Shor . . . . . . . . .

DIPLOMATIC DANCE with Gail Scott . . . . . . .

REAL ESTATE & DESIGN OPEN HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

RE NEWS by Mary Mewborn . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Joe Robert and Ashley Taylor with Ann and Lloyd Hand at the Kennedy Center Spring Gala; model in dress

by Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren, The Collection at Chevy Chase, 1245 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 202-965-0905; The Baroda Pearls necklace recentyl sold at Christie’s for $7,096,000 to an anonymous Asian collector; Dawn Saul and Septime Webre at the Washington Ballet’s 2007 Spring Gala “Noche Latina!”; the late Jack Valenti with his dog Lily.

Š 2006

Piaget

www.piaget.com

Polo

WA S H I N GTO N ’S P R E M I E R E LUXU RY L I F E ST Y L E M AGA Z I N E S I N C E 1 9 9 1

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Nancy Reynolds Bagley EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Michael M. Clements EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Katie Tarbox ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Clay Gaynor COPY EDITOR

Claudia Krieger EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Beth Farnstrom COLUMNISTS

Janet Donovan, Renee Drake, Donna Evers, Mary Mewborn, Vicky Moon, Gail Scott and Donna Shor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & EDITORS

Krista Bullion, Jacqueline Duberstein,Roland Flamini, Lloyd Hand, Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Robert Hormats, Kay Kendall, Ginger Laytham, Debbie Nash, Lana Orloff, Bill Press, John Roberts,Tareq Salahi and Steve Scully CREATIVE DIRECTOR

J.C. Suarès

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Stacey McGhee CONTRIBUTING GRAPHIC DESIGN

Elizabeth Demers and Megan Golden PHOTO EDITOR

Paul Simkin CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Edgar Becerra, Nick Crettier, Zaid Hamid, Jonah Koch, Justin Kriel, Bonnie Miller, Vicky Pombo,Tony Powell, Kyle Samperton, Paul Simkin, Noel Ryan, Gail Scott, Joe Shymanski, Samantha Swan and Jamie Windon ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Kelly Ginter NEW YORK ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Sara Padob SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Alexandra Misci ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Anna Croll and Theodore Wilhite SALES AND MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Joseph Losardo EVENTS COORDINATOR

Sarah Croke BOOKKEEPERS

Harvey Droke and Harrison Jett DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

Alexandra Kunzig WEB TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT

Ernesto Gluecksmann, Infamia, Inc. INTERNS

Genevieve Makris, Shane Shehabi and Krystyne Spence FOUNDER

Vicki Bagley CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD

Gerry Byrne ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Anaïs de Viel Castel CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Soroush Richard Shehabi

Washington Life magazine publishes ten times a year. Issues are distributed in February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November and December and are hand-delivered on a rotating basis to over 150,000 homes throughout D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland. Additional copies are available at various upscale retailers, hotels, select newstands and Whole Foods stores in the area. For a complete listing, (one year) to: Washington Life Magazine, 2301 Tracy Place, NW, washingtonlife.com W A S H I .NYouGcan T also O subscribe N L I online F E at www.washingtonlife.com N O V E M B EorRsend a check for $35.99 10please-consult our website at www.washingtonlife.com Washington D.C., 20008. BPA audited. Email us at info@washingtonlife.com with press releases, tips and editorial comments. Copyright ©2007 by Washington Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content or photos in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States. We will not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

A Rich Issue

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ometimes things don’t turn out the way you have planned – it’s a well-known fact. Case in point, “WL’s Wealth List,” the first part in a two-part series examining wealth in the Washington metro area.We start at the top with $10 billion and work our way “down” to $200 million, looking at financial assests as well as philantrophic contributions. Yet, after months of research and a team of talented writers, and idenitfying over 200 individuals, when I showed it to some of my single girlfriends, the first thing they said was “Thanks Nancy, this will totally help us identify eligible bachelors.” No! Ladies (and gentleman) this is not the purpose of the list. Even though our trusted wealth sources “Deep Pockets” and “Money Bags” did a Herculean job of number crunching and fact checking, we don’t advise basing any business or romantic “transactions” on the list. Although struggling non-profits might be able to find some elibigle donors.

Just take a look and wonder – like I did – “Why am I not on it?” Of course, many of our readers are. (Aside to them: don’t fret too much about why you are not listed in a higher net worth range.) One of our millionaire entrants called to tell me, “Wherever Jim Kimsey is, just make sure I’m one dollar ahead.” Sorry, we’ll have to verify that with “Deep Pockets.” Others looking for a boost should turn to our “Financial Roundtable” for a few tips from financial experts Paul Vieth, Curtin Winsor and Michael Harreld.

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ur June issue is awash with talented writers.

Robert Hormats, Goldman Sachs vice chair and author of The Price of Liberty, shows how insight from America’s past leaders can be our fiscal compass for navigating the nation’s economic future – particularly with regard to the rising tide of debt.We also welcome Washington D.C. and NewYork-based playwright and novelist Jane Stanton Hitchcock. Her short story “A Washington Dinner Party” – part of her collection of Short Short Stories of Social Revenge – is wickedly satirical and close to home. Veteran scribe Roland Flamini turns his sardonic pen to Placido Domingo and the Washington National Opera’s ambitious Ring cycle, which is now half-way complete and is keeping the WNO on the international opera map.

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pringtime in Virginia and Maryland means polo and the Virginia Gold Cup. It’s a wonderful reminder that we live in a major center of equestrian culture. If you didn’t get a chance to catch the America’s Cup of Polo at Morven Park, don’t worry, our coverage will get you caught up quicker than you can say “chukker.” We’re grateful to U.S. team captain Tareq Salahi and U.K. team captain Debbie Nash for their contributions. Our fashion pages have polo flair as well – we love those heavenly hats! Thank you to veteran fashion photographer and horse lover Samantha Swann and Great Meadow and the Great Meadow Polo Club for a fab fashion shoot. In her backpage column, Michael Strange seems to think Washingtonians are fools for fashion – after seeing this shoot, you might become a fool for polo. Don’t forget to catch the WLsponsored Courage Cup at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va. on June 16th, or twilight polo there every Saturday night from June 2 through September 8.

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ichael Kors isn’t synonymous with polo – unless of course it’s a polo gala. This month Marymount alum Ginger Laytham catches up with the fashion icon at the university’s “Portfolio in Motion” fashion show and Charlie Rose producer Jackie Duberstein tells us why women love to wear Michael Kors. (She wore a black Kors dress at the Al-Sabahs’ recent birthday bash for musical composer Marvin Hamlisch.) We have all the exclusive A-List photos from the party inside, along with coverage of the Washington Ballet’s WL-sponsored “Noche Latina!” gala, the Best Friends Foundation’s “Rockin’ at the Ritz,” and the Phillips Collection’s 85th anniversary celebration. Pick up our next issue for coverage of the Mosaic Foundation’s 10th anniversary benefit and the June 1 Opera Ball; and save the date for the Freer & Sackler Galleries Gala on June 20.We are proud to be a media sponsor for all three of these prestigious events.

In the meantime, keep an eye on your investments, so we’ll see you in the next “WL’s Wealth List.”

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Š 2007 Cartier

H O W W O U L D

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www.love.cartier.com

Tysons Galleria (703) 749-4664 The Collection at Chevy Chase (301) 654-5858

CONTRIBUTORS

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JACKIE DUBERSTEIN, an Emmy award

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12 Born with a philanthropist’s heart and raised

ROBERT HORMATS, vice chairman of

winner, is the Washington producer for the Charlie Rose

Goldman Sachs and managing director of Goldman,

on ponies and a love of wine, TAREQ SALAHI,

Show. She became friends with Michael Kors after he

Sachs & Co., is the author of The Price of Liberty:

owner of Oasis Vineyards, served as chairman of the

spotted her wearing one of his designs. She contributes

Paying for America’s Wars. He contributed this month

America’s Cup of Polo and contributes to our

to our coverage of his show at Marymount University.

to “Pop Politics” on this same topic.

coverage of the landmark event. He was captain of the

2 Writer and journalist ROLAND FLAMINI

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U.S. America’s Cup Polo team.

KAY KENDALL, former president of the

spent almost three decades at Time magazine, mostly

board of The Washington Ballet, writes about the

as a foreign correspondent. He has been an opera

company’s sizzling “Noché Latina!” gala.

enthusiast since his teens, and bears the scars for it: Soprano Renata Scotto once chased him across the

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STEVE SCULLY is senior executive producer

and political editor for C-SPAN. He also hosts Washington Journal, a daily three-hour public affairs

8 Marymount University graduate GINGER

program. Scully serves as president of the White House

San Fransisco Opera stage brandishing an umbrella. He

LAYTHAM is a corporate administrative assistant

Correspendent’s Association and contributes to our

writes about the WNO’s Ring cycle in “Performing

of Clyde’s Restaurant Group. At the University’s

coverage of the WHCA weekend.

Arts” this issue.

annual student fashion event she interviewed

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14 Photographer SAMANTHA SWAN has

designer Michael Kors.

LLOYD HAND is senior counsel in King &

Spalding’s Government Advocacy and Public Policy

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been successfully involved in the fashion business on

DEBBIE NASH is a board member of both

both sides of the camera for over 30 years. As a model

Practice Group. In “Hollywood on the Potomac,”

Great Meadow Polo Club at The Plains, Va., and Excel

with the “FORD Agency” in N.Y.C., she appeared

Hand pays tribute to his legendary friend, Jack Valenti.

Institute, a non profit organization for technical skills

in tv commercials, walked the catwalks in Milan, and

and education. She was also the captain of the British

worked with some of the best photographers in the

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CYNTHIA HELMS is the widow of Richard

team for the America’s Cup of Polo and the only

bussiness, such as Scavullo, Bob Stone, and Art Kane.

Helms, the late director of the Central Intelligence

female player. She writes about that experience in our

She turns her lens on polo style in “WL Fashion.”

Agency and ambassador to Iran. An honorary trustee

America’s Cup of Polo coverage.

of the Freer and Sackler Galleries, she writes about the upcoming “Encompassing the Globe” benefit in our

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“Event Spotlight.”

talk show host, including The Bill Press Show, highlights

BILL PRESS, a veteran radio and television

and Vanilla. Her novels include, Trick of the Eye, Social

ROBERTS confesses he’s a Sheryl Crow fan and

Crimes, The Witches’ Hammer, and One Dangerous Lady.

recalls other interesting moments from the White

In the April 2007 issue,“Trend Report” photographer, An Van De Wal, was not listed. In April, 2006 “Real Estate News,” WL incorrectly reported that Edward Wallach purchased the 8028 Herb Farm Drive. Also his wife’s name is Joanne, not Courtenay. In the May 2007 “Power List” the profile of Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, was factually inaccurate. As the lobbying organization for the commercial casino industry, the AGA never has lobbied to legalize Internet gambling and has been neutral on all past legislation related to the activity. In the May 2007 issue on pg. 113, WL identified Jana Abel as Jennifer

She provides a wickedly funny short short story for us

House Correspondents Association weekend.

Camel-Touges. WL regrets these errors.

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his favorite moments from the White House

JANE STANTON HITCHCOCK

is a

novelist and playwright. Her plays include an adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel, The Custom of the Country,

Correspondents Association weekend.

11 CNN’s American Morning anchor JOHN

this month in our “Society” section.

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WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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C A L E N D A R

Visit Washingtonlife.com’s online social calendar to view numerous galas and events, or post your event, which will then be considered for our print edition and our annual Balls and Galas Directory.

JUNE

OPERA BALL

Looking for a night of serious swank? The Opera Ball — held SPONSORED under the patronage of the President and First Lady — will provide it. After dinner at 25 embassies, Peruvian Amb. Felipe Ortiz de Zavallos will welcome guests to his residence for dancing and desserts. 7:30 p.m.

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dinner; ball 10 p.m.; The Peruvian Embassy; $500 per ticket with opportunities for sponsorship; black tie; email info@dc-opera. org for more information.

CHEF’S BEST DINNER AND AUCTION Over 60 renowned

chefs invite Washington’s elite to a black-tie buffet, live and silent auctions, and musical entertainment to support Food and Friends, D.C.’s premier HIV/AIDS fundraiser. 5 p.m.

VIP reception; 6 – 10 p.m. dinner; Hilton Washington D.C.; $225 per individual with opportunities for sponsorship; business attire; contact Josh Lomon at 202-269 - 6826 for more information.

ANNUAL BARK BALL It’s no insult

to call your date a “real dog” if you go to the Bark Ball – in fact, it’s kind of the point.

Dinner, a silent auction, great music and food to benefit the Washington Humane Society.

7 p.m.; Renaissance Hotel; $250 per ticket with opportunities for sponsorship available; black tie; email Stacey Kranitz at

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skranitz@washhumane.org for more information.

INTERNATIONAL EYE FOUNDATION EYE BALL The International

Eye Foundation fights to keep those “windows to the soul” open; “Eye Ball,” hosted at the Swedish embassy, offers a smorgasbord – that’s a Swedish-style buffet – with silent and live auctions, music and dancing.

community leaders at its 7th annual awards dinner, which benefits the American Diabetes Association. 6 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. dinner; The Ritz Carlton Washington D.C.; $200 per ticket; email mjackson@diabetes.org or call 202-331 -8303 ext. 4523 for more information.

LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA MAN

& WOMAN OF THE YEAR GRAND FINALE GALA A

ten-week fundraising competition will culminate with the celebration of everyone’s efforts at this black-tie benefit featuring drinks, entertainment, dancing and a silent auction. 6-11:30p.m.; Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium; black tie; $300 per individual ticket; email katie.goode@lls.org for more information.

6:30 p.m.; Embassy of Sweden; cocktail (black tie optional); $200 per individual or $350 per couple; contact Calvin Baerveldt at 240-290 – 0263 ext. 18 or email info@iefusa.org for more information.

AWESOMELY BAD BALL KENNEDY CENTER

Last year’s Awesomely Bad Ball – an extravaganza of excess, with guests garbing themselves Hosted by Peruvian Amb. Felipe Ortiz de Zavallos, the in everything from 2007 Washington National beachwear to bling.

Opera Ball is an anticipated

7 p.m.; Kennedy Center evening of dancing.

Terrace Restaurant; $150 per ticket; contact Brent Lowder at 202-256 - 3571 for more information.

FATHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS “World’s Best

Dad” is a relative term.

D.C. has its very own Father’s Day Council to bestow this title on local father-figures and

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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many leading banks represent themselves as independent and stable. and then they get gobbled up.

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Please call to learn more about our perspective on wealth management for families with $10 million or more to invest.

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New York

THE COURAGE CUP MEADOW MATCHES This hugely popular

Juan Salinas-Bentley pops a bottle of champagne for the 2006 Courage Cup

WL

day-long polo event with champagne and celebrated player Charlie Muldoon, encourages inner-city youth to catch chukker fever. Look for Smith Pointers in the Golden Mallet Tent, with its prime hilltop location.The Meadow Matches feature a variety of sporting fare, including The Courage Cup,The Ambassadors’ Cup, The First Chukker, and The Segway Polo Media Challenge Match. noon cup events; 6 p.m.

SPONSORED

– on, twilight polo and dancing; Sheila C. Johnson Field at Great Meadow Polo Club; tickets start at $115 for Platinum Pony VIP Tent; garden party attire; contact www.couragecup.org for more information.

RAMMY AWARDS

Local restaurants celebrate their version of the “Oscars” at the awards ceremony of the area’s most coveted culinary prize.The black-tie dinner includes several courses – and the RAMMYS are the proverbial cherry atop the resume of any chef worth his salt. Reception 6 p.m.; dinner and awards 8 p.m.; Marriot Wardman Park; black tie and boa; $250 for individual ticket, $200 for Rammy members; contact Betsey Alman at 202-331-5990 for more information.

NORDSTROM DESIGNER PREVIEW FOR FALL 2007 showcases the latest looks while benefiting

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NORDSTROM DESIGNER PREVIEW FOR FALL Navigating

the aisles and counters at department stores can be a tricky proposition – Nordstroms’ designer preview guides the busy, better-dressed Washingtonian

through high-fashion ropes with a presentation of the finest American and European designer collections for fall 2007. 6:30–10 p.m.; National Building Museum; $125 per ticket; call 202-725-5604 for more information.

FREER & SACKLER GALLERIES

GALA The Freer Gallery of

Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery host SPONSORED their black-tie benefit to celebrate the opening of Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries. The event attracts VIP guests from around the globe, including members of the cabinet, diplomats, Supreme Court justices, high-ranking executives from the private sector, and leading patrons of the international art world. 6:30

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WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

p.m.; Haupt Garden at the Freer & Sackler; black tie; $500 and $1,500 per individual; contact Alison Cassels at 202-633-0417 or fsgala@si.edu for more information.

TALL SHIPS BALL AT THE BREAKERS IN NEWPORT The tall ships of

the world’s leading navies will sail past the summer resort’s fabeled masion’s before and after the Newport Preservation Society’s annual ball.The weekend features picnics, parades, on-board lunches and a great fireworks displayEVENING; The Breakers, Newport Harbor; black tie; $450 per individual ticket; email events@newportmansions or call Melanie Haley at 401-847-1000 ext. 140 for more information.

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T

he Art of Living

Welcome to Phillips Park Estate Home Sites now selling from just over $1 million.

Comprised of 46 exclusive Estate Home Sites, Phillips Park is a new community located on Foxhall Road – one of the most prestigious addresses in Washington.

• Minutes from Georgetown • Beautifully framed by 200 acres of National Parks Please contact Kim Gibson or Susie Gordon Maguire at 888-584-3161 for an appointment 2203 Foxhall Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007

phillipsparkdc.com

F .Y. I . D . C .

Ñ TRAVEL SAVVY Whether it’s a weekend spa retreat or a road trip to your favorite beachside cottage, you need to get organized. That’s where The Container Store comes in – head to one of their four DC-area locations before July 5 for a sale on their best-selling travel solutions.

Visit www.containerstore.com for more information.

É BY INVITATION ONLY

If you’re in the know (or on the list), you’re already aware that Bulgari will kick-off its week-long jewelry trunk show with an elegant evening at Washington’s Café Milano, where guests at the invite-only event will preview one-of-a-kind high jewelry pieces from the Italian marque. Or view the collection from June 15-21 at Bulgari’s Chevy Chase location. Bulgari Chevy Chase, 5481 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Md. For a private appointment call 301-986-8610.

PLEASURE ISLAND

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f you think the club scene in Washington is cramped, don’t worry; it will get a lot bigger when Ibiza opens in June. The 30,000 square night spot – located at 1222 First Street, NE – will feature VIP terraces, waterfalls, a $1 million dollar sound system, eight bars and a 40-foot projector wall on the dance floor.

For more information email info@ibizadc.com.

CRACKBERRY RELIEF

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American Impressionism﹕ Paintings from the Phillips Collection

or those paying the price of constant Blackberry use (sore thumbs, tired wrists, huge bills), Be You Bi Yu Holistic Spa in Bethesda can provide some welcome relief (but only from the sore thumbs and wrists, they can’t help with your bill). The CrackBerry Thumbs and KeyBored Wrists Massage features concentrated effort on the hand, wrist, forearm and elbows; plus, they coat your hands in warm coconut milk and let them soften in heated mitts.

For more information visit www.beyouspa.com.

Exshibit runs from June 16 to September 9. The Phillips Collection is located at 1600 21st Street, NW. For more information call 202-387-2151 or visit www.phillipscollection.org 20

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Ph

ase

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THE WOOSTER AND MERCER LOFTS

Clarendon Boulevard between Courthouse and Rosslyn

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Winner 2006 Delta Award: Most Innovative Mid-Atlantic Condominium Project.

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FLOAT ON

H

ave you ever been driving across Key Bridge or sitting at the Georgetown Waterfront, only to find yourself suddenly envious of those canoeing or kayaking on the Potomac? Join them with a boat rental from Thompson Boat Center, 2900 Virginia Avenue, N.W. Canoes ($8/hr, $22/day); kayaks–singles ($8/hr, $24 day); doubles ($10/hr, $30 day.) For more information visit wwwthompsonboatcenter.com.

É EASTERN MARKET ON THE MEND By now you’ve

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

W

ith works from Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, Trey McIntyre and Septime Webre, the Washington Ballet’s 2007-2008 features many new and exciting productions. For performance and schedule information visit www.washingtonballet.org.

Photo credit: Steve Vaccariello

heard that much of Washington’s historic Eastern Market was damaged or destroyed by fire. But that hasn’t dampened the spirits of those behind the city’s oldest continuously operating food market – they’ve promised to rebuild. To help in the reconstruction effort, two funds have been set up for donations: visit www. capitalhillcommunityfoundation.org to make a donation to help merchants who operate inside the building; or www.easternmarket.net for more information on donating to aid the merchants who operate in the outdoor market. Photo credit: Joe Shymanski

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

T

his summer, send your children to where the real wild things are: one of the National Zoo’s summer camps. Between the Summer Safari day camp (held on a weekly basis at the zoo between June 18 and August 10 for kids K-5) and the overnight FONZ Nature Camp at the Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in the Shenandoah Valley (for kids in grades 5-10) there’s something for everyone. For more information visit www.nationalzoo.si.edu/Education/Camps.

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WHO’S NEXT

ADA POLLA OCCUPATION President, Alchimie Forever HOMETOWN Geneva, Switzerland WASHINGTON LIFE Why did you move to Washington, D.C.?

ADA POLLA For business school. I attended Georgetown McDonough school of business.

WL What is your greatest fear?

AP To lose control.

WL Favorite time of day?

AP Between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., when the

city is quiet and I am awake and working.

WL Drink of choice?

AP Champagne, preferably Veuve Cliquot WL What is your favorite book?

AP Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett WL What’s your beauty regimen?

AP Given my chosen profession, it’s quite involved! Alchimie Forever products for face and body. My current favorites are our Superpulse eye contour cream and our 532nm antioxidant cream for feet and hands, Solar Oil cuticle cream every night, Nars lipstick and lipgloss, Rene Furterer products for my hair, and Guerlain’s Jicky perfume.

WL Most interesting ingredient

in your skin care products?

AP Blueberries – fabulous antioxidants and great for minimizing facial redness.

WL What do you love

most about the city?

AP The monuments – and the fact that there are no skyscrapers; it gives the city such a feeling of openness and airiness.

WL What do you hate about the city?

AP The traffic.

WL What would people be

surprised to know about you?

AP My favorite movie of all time is “Armageddon” with Bruce Willis.

24

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| JUNE

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S O C I E T Y

A WASHINGTON DINNER PARTY From the collection of “Short Short Stories of Social Revenge”

BY JA N E STA N TO N H ITC H CO C K

T

he hostess was giving a dinner for the very eminent Ambassador P. She had planned it for months. No expense had been spared. Her chef was preparing food from his country. She had ordered the best wines. Flowers were being flown in from France. Everyone was coming. Five days before the party, the ambassador canceled.

Once she got over the shock, she was in a quandary. Should she alert those she had invited that her guest of honor was no longer coming?

She decided to do the honorable thing. She wrote the following note to everyone by hand and had her chauffeur deliver them that afternoon: “Dear Friends, I am looking forward to seeing you this Wednesday at our home for dinner.

Unfortunately and unexpectedly, Ambassador P. has been called out of town by his prime minister and is unable to be with us. Nevertheless, I very much look forward to see you on Wednesday at eight o’clock at my house. All the best, Eve.” One day later she received the following note from Aerosol Blackberry, a prominent socialite: “Dear Eve, If the ambassador is no longer coming to your house, I don’t feel I can, in good conscience, attend. In any case, the rumor was that you used his illustrious name to get us all there to begin with. Now you still expect us to come even though you have admitted the truth. Did you think we were coming because we like you and want to see you? If so, how sad you must be now that everyone is canceling because the alleged guest of honor, the person we really longed to meet and use and cultivate as yet another rung on our never ending social climb, will not be there. I, for one, feel so badly that you had to admit this before we all got there.

It might have been wiser not to say anything. On second thought, if the ambassador hadn’t been there when we arrived, we’d have walked out in droves.

So thank you for the heads up. Yours sincerely, Aerosol Blackberry.”

The hostess couldn’t believe the cheek of the woman. She read the note twice and decided it was a joke. She called Aerosol, a woman she didn’t much like, but who was a big campaign contributor and part of the fabric of social life.

“Oh, Aerosol,” Eve began, “I got your hilarious note!”

“What’s hilarious about it?” Aerosol said coolly.

“DEAR E,

apologetic messages were left. Everyone was canceling. Eve fervently wished she hadn’t told the truth. The next morning, she got up in a funk.

She was thinking of scrapping the party altogether.

She blamed her misfortune on Aerosol Blackberry, who had gotten the cancellation ball rolling. Her telephone rang. It was the ambassador.

“My dear Eve,” he said in his smooth diplomat’s voice. “The prime minister has changed my appointment, so I find I can come to your party after all.And, do please tell me if this is an imposition, but would you possibly have room for the prime minister and his wife as well?”

The hostess was so delighted she hardly knew what to say.

“Of course! How wonderful,” she managed.

That day, she wrote to all of her guests again, informing them that Ambassador P. had again changed his plans. He was now coming to the party as scheduled – along with his prime minister. She wrote to everyone except Aerosol Blackberry.

26

“Surely, it’s a joke.”

“I don’t think it’s a joke to invite people to a party for someone who isn’t going to be there. I have better things to do with my time.”

“Okay. If that’s how you feel.”

“It is. And I’m not alone,” Aerosol said ominously.

Later that day, other notes arrived and

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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IL LU STRATION BY J.C. SUA RÈ S

If Ambassador P. is no longer coming to your house, I don’t feel I can, in good conscience, attend.”

L ET’S M EET AT C A F É DU PA RC .

D.C.’s place to meet for authentic French Bistro cuisine, wine, coffee and conversation, on Pennsylvania Avenue adjacent to the Willard InterContinental® Hotel. With exquisite French pastries, fresh brioche and in-between meal “petits plats,” Café du Parc serves breakfast through dinner on two levels with Parisian-style outdoor dining in the warmer months. Bon appétit!

Do you live an InterContinental life?

Call 202.942.7000 or visit www.cafeduparc.com ©2007 InterContinental Hotels Group. All rights reserved. Most hotels are independently owned and/or operated.

Seyranyan Sisters perform during the cocktail hour

Arturo and Hilda Ochoa Brillembourg

Aimee and Robert Lehrman

Acrobats provided by FELD Entertainment

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Dawn Saul, Septime Webre and Marsha Ralls

Bonnie and Kenny Feld

Heidi HatďŹ eld and Susan Harreld and Jeanne Ruesch Buddy Karelis

Kay Kendall and Jack Davies

Lolo Sarno

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Pat Skantz, Patricia Trudea, Syd MillerEverett, Elena Poptodorova and Timoth Trudea

Juan Antonio Umanzor Jr., Lynda Erkiletian and Jess Kaye

Conrad Cafritz and Lorie Peters WL SPONSORED

NOCHE LATINA! April 27 • The National Building Museum

BY KAY KENDALL PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL AND BONNIE MILLER

THE EVENT The Washington Ballet’s 2007 Spring Gala “Noche Latina!” was a travelogue of tantalizing dance, captivating contortionists, and pulsating sounds which transported guests to an exotic locale filled with surprises at every turn.

The National Building Museum played host to this swank soirée with grand style. During the cocktail hour, guests were treated to an artful display of human flexibility by the Seyranyan sisters, provided by Feld Entertainment, Inc. The talented duo contorted themselves into a cube while onlookers watched in amazement. The bar was raised even higher by their hand-balancing act, which kicked off the dinner program. Rounding out the evening, Washington Ballet dancers performed Orgullecida and Dos Gardenias, excerpts from Juanita y Alicia, which were choreographed by Septime Webre. The highlight of the evening was when Webre took the stage with Laura Urgelles to dance the salsa. Talk about hot! A superb night of dancing followed — a er all, that’s what The Washington Ballet Spring Gala does best. The Gala raised in excess of $450,000.

Septime and Laura Urgelles perform Orgullecida Elizabeth Gaither and Luis R. Torres perform excerpts from Juanita y Alicia

Renaud and Anaïs de Viel Castel

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Allison Kaminsky, Chris Putala and Marland Buckner

| JUNE

| washingtonlife.com

Maki Onuki and Jade Payette

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Sara Mohamadeian, Argentine Amb. Jose Octavio Bordon, Coco Bensahel and Osmar Nunez-Vilches

Rachel Pearson, King Mallory and Nini Ferguson

Katherine and David Bradley

Shirley Feld

30

Tom and Maggie Sheedy

Ricardo Ramos, Blair Long and Chip Coleman

Ernie and Debbie Jarvis

Winston Lord and Connie Carter

Theo Adamstein and Olvia Demetriou Adamstein with Baron Baptiste and Vyda Bielkus

Jorge and Barbara Portalea

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Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and wife Meryl

Bill Bennett and Wolf Blitzer

Fred and Jerri Thompson

WL SPONSORED

ROCKIN’ AT THE RITZ April 27 • The Ritz Carlton, Washington, D.C. PHOTOS BY PAUL SIMKIN

THE EVENT With a li le help from Bobby Vee and the Vees, Elayne Benne “took good care” of her baby, the Best Friends Foundation, by raising $530,000 at the organization’s annual gala featuring retro dress code. THE SCENE Guests dug out their pink neck-ties, le er jackets and bobby socks, while singers Jerry Butler (“Let It Be Me”), Fabian (“Hound Dog Man”), and Barbara Lewis (“Baby, I’m Yours”) brought back their careers — and brought cabinet secretaries and senators to the dance floor. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer shared notes with Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly; Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and wife Meryl danced cheek to cheek; and Jim Kimsey (wearing a studded “Sweet Talkin’ Guy” T-shirt) was up swinging for almost every number. THE GUESTS Susan Hurley Benne , Fred and Marlene Malek, Frank Carlucci, Fred and Jerri Thompson, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and wife Marcia, and Bill Benne .

Susan Hurley Bennett, Kitty Martinez, Elayne Bennett, Marlene Malek and Lark McCarthy

Bill Bennett, Fred Thompson and Bill O’Reilly Katie Rost and Paul Wharton James Woolsey with Marcia and Frank Carlucci

David and Maryanne Forward with Carol Randolph

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Bobby Vee bringing the crowd to its feet

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| JUNE

| washingtonlife.com

CONTEMPOR ARY, NON-TR ADITIONAL INVESTMENTS FROM YOUR TRUSTED, RESPONSIBLE WE ALTH MANAGER.

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Brian and Paula Dailey

Marc and Jacqueline Leland

Nancy and Harold Zirkin

Huda and Samia Farouki

George and Trish Vradenburg with Jay Gates WL SPONSORED

THE 85TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION May 4 • The Phillips Collection and Anderson House PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

THE EVENT A er David Tutera whisked guests to France for the over-the-top “Luncheon of the Boating Party” gala last year, who could blame them for eagerly anticipating their next trip. Co-chair Samia Farouki recruited the noted event designer to plan an evening celebrating the magic of art and film associated with Hollywood. THE SCENE There was all the glitz and pageantry of tinseltown: lights, trays of passed champagne and Phillip’s Chair George Vradenburg greeting the ladies (elegant in black and white gowns) at the end of a red carpet. A er a stroll through the museum’s foyer, 300 sat to dine on seafood pavé and guinea fowl at tables placed throughout the gallery. One guest remarked, “What could be be er than listening to a string quartet and dining next to a Picasso?” The other masterpieces were Tutera’s eye-popping assortment of white floral arrangements decorating each table. A er tallying 150 stems in her centerpiece, one guest stopped counting. Following dinner, guests strolled over to Anderson House for dancing and desserts. THE GUESTS Jay Gates, Tom Rutherfoord Jr., Patricia Sagon, Ron and Beth Dozoretz, Joyce Hagel, Megan Beyer, Lucky Roosevelt, Beth and Ron Dozoretz and Susan Blumenthal.

Anjelica Fernadez, Chilean Amb. Mariano Fernandez and Annie Totah

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Melissa Moss and Jonathan Silver

Mary Beth and Donald Roth

Nina Easton and Russ Schriefer

Alan and Irene Wurtzel

Meryl Comer and Jim Kimsey Gerald and Kay Fisher

Esthy and James Adler

Tamera Luzzatto and Heather Podesta Lynne Flexner, Harold Zirkin and Trish Vradenburg

Morton and Marguerite Kondracke

Stuart and Wilma Bernstein

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O F T H E PA R T Y

Ruda Brickfield, Margaret Toubourg, Peter Brickfield and Margaret Toubourg

Liz Underhill and Ardis Eby

Mary and Rich Amons

LA BELLE NOTTE GALA April 20 • National Museum of Women in the Arts

BY DONNA SHOR PHOTOS BY PAUL SIMKIN

THE EVENT All those great women painters we never heard of — who knew? La Belle No e gala really was “the beautiful night” to get acquainted with these Italian women artists from Renaissance to Baroque, the exhibition’s theme at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Founded by Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (a er she was dismayed so many U.S. museum walls were “men only” compared with museums abroad), the NMWA has a racted a million and a half visitors since 1987. THE SCENE Charlo e Buxton and Cindy Jones co-chaired the stellar sold-out event, which had a waiting list soon a er the invitations went out. The gala décor matched the magnificence of the museum’s ballroom with its sweeping double-staircase. THE GUESTS Farah Pahlavi, the former empress of Iran, and her son Reza Pahlavi; Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Jane; the ambassadors of Hungary, Italy and Austria; HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and Marcia; Nicholas and Eleanor Chabraja; Caroline Rose Hunt; Mary Mochary and Philip Wine; Climis and NMWA President Emerita Carol Lascaris; John and Joy Safer; ABC’s Robin Roberts; Sharad and Mahinder Tak; Julia and Mike Connors; Channel 9’s Andrea Roane; Ashor and Tuti Kaveeshwar; Judy Esfandiary; Gilan and Milton Corn; Julia and Stephen Hopping; Alexine and Aaron Jackson; Peter and Wendy Gowdy; and Roger and Nancy Stevenson.

Caren Gurvich Debbie Dingell and Winton Holladay

Cindy Jones, Charlotte Buxton and Judy Larson

Aaron and Alexine Jackson

Cathy Porter and Fernando Murias

Jeff Neally and Christine Vermillion

36

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O F T H E PA R T Y

Steve Schwarzmann and Jean Kennedy Smith

Barnaby and Sarah Crahan with Joe and Catherine Hall

Micol Galliani and Darina Pavlova

KENNEDY CENTER SPRING GALA April 29 • The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

THE EVENT Even though Harry Connick Jr. quipped, “We’re about as white trash as you can get,” there was nothing blue collar about the Kennedy Center’s spring gala. On Duke Ellington’s birthday there was an evening of jazz, cocktails on the picturesque roof and dinner for 1,200 patrons to raise a record $2.9 million.

THE GUESTS Alma and Colin Powell, Geraldine Ferraro, Alberto Moreno, Sen. Ted Stevens, Ethel and Jean Kennedy Smith, Debra Lee, Strobe Talbo and Sen. Wayne Allard.

Joe Robert and Ashley Taylor with Ann and Lloyd Hand Debra Lee

Harold and Franzine Hnederson, Marcia Jackson and HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson

38

Billy Taylor

Ludmilla and Conrad Cafritz

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Arab States Amb. Hussein Hassouna and wife Nevine, Lark McCarthy and Michael Thomas

Michael Kaiser

Swiss Amb. Urs Ziswiller, Lichtenstein Amb. Claudie Fritsche and Argentinian Amb. Jose Octavio Bordon

Christine Schwarzmann and Marion Clifton Blakley

Alma and Colin Powell Martin and Julie Whitmer

Nini Ferguson, Peter Kane and Carol Schwartz

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Strobe Talbott

Sen. Wayne Allard

39

Trish Vradenburg, Calvin Cafritz, Jane Cafritz and George Vradenburg

Irinia and Olivia Rubenstein

Al and Mary Gentry WL EXCLUSIVE

SPRING FLING April 15 • Food & Friends Headquarters PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

THE EVENT A Mardi Gras-like early spring celebration hosted by Jane and Calvin Cafritz at Food & Friends’ state-of-the-art kitchen and pantry, which produces three meals a day for 1,300 people living with HIV/ AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses.

THE SCENE Director Craig Shniderman’s announcement that the organization had delivered its 10 millionth meal that week got the celebration started, along with music from the twelve piece soul band Odyssey.

THE GUESTS Ann and Lloyd Hand, Ann and Bill Nitze, Lolo Sarnoff, Bob Barne and Rita Braver, Ellie Merrill and Gail and Togo West.

Jane and Calvin Cafritz Jan Shepard

Trish Vradenburg and Grace Bender

Aniko Gaal Schott and William Haseltine

40

Sophia and Diana Negroponte

Elizabeth and Jan Lodal

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Jan McVey and Broadway singer J. Mark McVey

Marvin Hamlisch, Rima Al-Sabah, Terre Blair and Salem Al-Sabah

Cal Thomas and Broadway singer Brian d’Arcy James

WL EXCLUSIVE

MARVIN HAMLISCH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION May 15 • Embassy Residence of the State of Kuwait PHOTOS BY VICKY POMBO

Leila El-Merhebi

42

Kuwait Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah began the evening on a light note stating, “It’s certainly not easy to impress a man who has Barbara Streisand on speed dial … and can get away with pu ing her on hold.” To which birthday boy Marvin Hamlisch playfully retorted, “I’ve never put Barbara Streisand on hold.” But the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award winner had to be impressed with Rima Al-Sabah’s A-list gathering. “Nobody does it be er” than Rima. Nor was this a night for “Ordinary People.” Nancy Pelosi looked all “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” with the Dems holding Congress while Karl Rove put a recent email “Sting” aside and enjoyed Roberta Flack’s singing. Also present: Justice Samuel Alito; Cabinet Secretaries Michael Chertoff, Carlos Gutierrez and Henry Paulson; Rep. John Dingell; Mayor Adrian Fenty; Tom Friedman; James Billington; Kathleen Chris Ma hews; and George Stephanopoulos.

Heidi Hatfiand eld and

Buddy Karelis

Susan Harreld and Jeanne Ruesch

Michael Sonnenreich and Franco Nuschese

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Chief of Protocol-designate Nancy Brinker, Gwen Holliday and Michele Fenty

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson

John and Irene Danilovich

Evelyn Lauder with Leo and Grega Daly

William Nitze, Ed Mathias and HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson

Deborah Rivel, John Goodale, Rep. John Dingell and Wendy Paulson

Ann Friedman, Vicky and Roger Sant, and Thomas Friedman

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O F T H E PA R T Y

ALEXANDRA WENTWORTH’S NEW COMEDY SERIES “HEAD CASE” April 17 • Motion Picture Association of America PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

THE EVENT A night of “dirty words and dirty plot lines”, Alexandra Wentworth said to those gathered at the Motion Picture Association headquarters for a sneak preview of her new show, “Headcase,” which will air on Starz. Celebrities filling the pages of her appointment book in the upcoming 2007 season include Tom Sizemore, Alanis Morrise e, Sean Hayes, Jane Kaczmarek, Andy Dick and Jason Priestly. THE GUESTS Her father, retired Washington reporter Eric Wentworth, was present as well as her husband, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.

ABC’s Jack Tapper and Jessica Yellin; NBC anchor David Gregory; Rima Al-Sabah; and MPAA chief Dan Glickman and his wife Rhoda were also in a endance.

Dan Glickman, Ali Wentworth, Rhoda Glickman and George Stephanopolous Michael Powell and Lynne Wasserman

Ed Mathias

Beth Wilkinson and David Gregory

Lee Brenner and Michelle Persaud

Kyle Gibson and Angus Yates

Melissa Moss, George Stphanopolous and Linda Douglass

Samar Alghanim, Ali Wentworth and Rima Al-Sabah

44

Sarah Kuhn Steinberg and Elizabeth Thorp

Nick Snowden and Allison Tom-Yunger

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| JUNE

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O F T H E PA R T Y

Ildiko Papp with Hungarian Amb. Andras Simonyi and his wife Nada

Janet and Hans Black with Christina Scheppelman

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and his wife Marcia with Salvatore Licitra

SALVATORE LICITRA RECEPTION March 30 • Japanese Ambassador’s Residence PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

THE EVENT In his only Washington performance, Salvatore Licitra (called “the first tenor superstar of the 21st century”) performed for an intimate crowd of opera lovers who greeted him with a standing ovation. THE SCENE The Japanese Ambassador opened his home not as “Penance for Japan giving the world karaoke,” but because he and many of his countrymen are opera fans. THE GUESTS Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Anthony Kennedy; Rep. Doris Matsui; HUD Secretary Alfonso Jackson; Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi and his wife Nada, and Singaporean Ambassador Chan Heng Chee.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Salvatore Licitra

46

Maria Felice Mekouar with Rima Al-Sabah and Kuwaiti Amb. Salem Al-Sabah

Paul Wolfowitz, Colombian Amb. Carolina Barco, Japanese Amb. Ryozo Kato and Michael Sonnenreich

Lee and William Perry, SinaporeAmb. Chan Heng Chee and Rep. Doris Matsui

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HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC WL remembers one of Washington’s finest: Jack Valenti (1921-2007)

BY JA N ET D O N OVA N

“Jack Valenti was a giant who loomed large over two of the world’s most glittering stages – Washington and Hollywood. Both are far better for his contributions.”

– Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America.

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decorated World War II pilot, Harvard MBA graduate, advertising executive, special assistant to President Lyndon Johnson, author, lecturer, speech writer, lobbyist, columnist, president of the MPAA and a man with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

To the public, he was best known for implementing the movie ratings system while remaining a tenacious protector of freedom of speech. Always conscious of the resulting impact the system would have on films, he once advised his colleagues, “I don’t care if you call it AO for Adults Only, or Chopped Liver or Father Goose.Your movie will still have the stigma of being in a category that’s going to be inhabited by the very worst of pictures.” While the ratings sounded like an ad for alphabet soup, it became the standard markup for identifying content: G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17. Introduced in 1968, it was always a difficult rating balance, but parents loved it and it remains intact today with a little follow up tweaking now and then.

To his friends, he was always the proud, charismatic Italian American who was a visible host at events reflecting his heritage – from Washington galas to the Oscars in LA Mary Margaret and Jack Valenti at the Aspen Institute Bi– and a man who worked partisan Awards in June 2006. fervently to preserve that heritage. Often in the

oth of those worlds celebrated Valenti’s life at a memorial service on May 1 at St. Matthews Cathedral in downtown Washington.

In a town long accustomed to the comings and goings of the Hollywood elite, it was the collective presence of West Coast heavyweights Kirk and Michael Douglas, Katherine Zeta-Jones, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg blended with the East Coast political power of Sen. Ted Kennedy, presidential hopeful Sen. Joe Biden, former LBJ chief of protocol Lloyd Hand and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that reflected the enormous respect, admiration and devotion Valenti commanded in both life and death.

The diminutive Texan was larger than life and led more lives than the proverbial cat:

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presence of Sofia Loren, Lena Wertmuller or Sylvester Stallone, his Sicilian ancestry was a natural fit in a profession often dominated by Italian film genius. He always remained in awe of major stars: rumor had it that he was left speechless upon first meeting Miss Loren.

Devoted to his wife Mary Margaret and their children, he also flourished in family life.

The ties that bound them could be seen and heard at the service where his son John read passages from Jack’s upcoming book, This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House and Hollywood, to be released in June.

Rating the life of Jack Valenti: A+

JUST IMAGINE IF PEOPLE REMEMBERED YOU THIS WAY. “In a sometimes unreasonable business, Jack Valenti was a giant voice of reason. He was the greatest ambassador Hollywood has ever known and I will value his wisdom and friendship for all time.”

–STEVEN SPIELBERG

“We never had a wiser or dearer friend and never will again.”

–LUCI BAINES JOHNSON

“The best thing about Jack is that he never said anything bad about people, although he loved to talk about them.”

–WYATT DICKERSON

“He was so charismatic.There was never any falseness with Jack. He would always tell you the truth.”

–SHERRY LANSING

“I still can’t believe that Jack is gone. He was my best friend for over 45 years. I will miss him.”

–KIRK DOUGLAS

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A LIFE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

BY LLOYD HAND

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y the time you read this, Jack Valenti will have been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with all the military honors befitting one who served his country bravely, including having flown 51 combat missions in WWII. Jack’s 85 years were chock full of multidimensional accomplishments. He was a prolific writer, sought after public speaker, the top aide to LBJ (one of the most demanding and powerful presidents of the United States), and an effective, dynamic advocate for the influential motion picture industry – which he led for 38 years, interpreting Hollywood to Washington, and vice versa.

Jack’s many kind and generous acts caused many to believe he was their best friend.

He was. Following his retirement as MPAA president, Jack committed himself passionately as president of the Friends of the Global Fight – to eradicate the world of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. Throughout his life, he practiced what he preached: loyalty, dependability, generosity, commitment to his family and friends, and an irrepressible commitment to excellence in everything he undertook. Good was not enough – he wanted to be the best. I know of only one goal where he fell short of the mark – reducing his 35 golf handicap!

One of the invaluable legacies for me and for the many others who knew and loved Jack, is that he caused us to want to be better in everything we did. His friendship has been treasured and will be missed, but memories of his many efforts to make this a better world will live on for all of us privileged to know him.

CLOCKWISE – Jack Valenti with his dog Lily (“the smartest and most affectionate of any dog I’ve had,” he told WL in 2005); Valenti, circa 1944 in a double-breasted suit at “The Cougar,” student newspaper of the University of Houston; Valenti, Jan Smith and Sam Donaldson at National Italian American Foundation in 2006.

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PERFORMING ARTS

Valkyries surging in the Washington National Opera’s Americanized version of “Die Walkure.” With those kinky leather outfits who needs horned helmets? The WNO’s “Ring” cycle will skip a year before presenting “Siegfried” in 2009 and “Gotterdamerung” in 2010.

Domingo Puts on Wagner’s Ring But is it sized too big for the WNO?

BY RO L AN D FL AM I N I

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n the opera world, producing Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle is one of those monumental projects that separate the men from the boys. Of course, if the result is a flop, it’s back to being boys, but that’s not likely to happen to the Washington National Opera, now halfway through a highly successful staging of what is arguably the biggest work in Western music.

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Wagner subtitled the 15-hour-long epic Der Ring des Nibelungen, “a stage festival for three days and a preliminary evening.” It took him 28 years to write, re-write, and rehearse before its first performance in 1876. In its 2006 season the WNO staged, to critical acclaim, the preliminary evening Das Rheinegold. In the current season came the second opera in the cycle, Die Walkure. The opera will now skip a

year to get its breath back and raise some more cash before presenting Siegfried in 2009 and Gotterdamerung in 2010.

You would have thought the Ring cycle was so deeply embedded in its source material of German and Scandinavian myths and folk tales as to make its organic unity inviolable, allowing little leeway in its interpretation. But, as Anthony Tommasini, the opera critic of the

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New York Times observed, when thinking of producing Wagner’s masterwork “You’d better have a novel concept …. We’ve had industrial Rings, an environmentally green Ring, and several cosmic Rings with mystical lighting and abstract scenery.”

For the WNO, director Francesca Zambello has come up with what she calls an “American Ring.” Or did she mean an anti-American Ring?

Given that she transposes Wagner’s themes of greed, corruption and the abuse of power to an American (actually a Washingtonian) context, she in effect has produced an operatic indictment of the American system.

Throughout Wagner’s great saga, mythic figures struggle for possession of a magic ring that bestows the power to rule the world. Even the knowledge that the ring ultimately destroys whoever owns it fails to discourage their quest.

If by now you’re thinking H.R. Tolkien, you’re more or less on the right track. In the WNO’s American Ring the German deities become contemporary, or near contemporary, American gods – in other words capitalists, politicians, and

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self-guilt. The evil gnome Alberich (who has the ring in Mega-tenor Placido Domingo as the first place) Siegmund, the golden voice in the presides over a WNO’s “Das Rheingold.” With dark, sulfurous singing like that the production takes a back seat. mine worked by mostly Afr ican children – not just evoking the history of slavery in America, but a reminder that child labor remains a hideous abuse in several parts of the world. In a twitch of political correctness, Erda the earth-goddess shows up in Native American dress looking, as one critic put it “like the woman in the Land O’Lakes label.”

In Die Walkure, the famous “Ride of the Valkyries” (Wotan’s wa r r i o r maiden daughters) becomes the celebrities, i.e. the rich and famous. The Rhine “Drop of the Valkyries.” They don’t arrive on River becomes the Colorado River, but perhaps horseback, they surge in by parachute against a should be the Potomac given Zambello’s backdrop of modern warfare, which some saw explanation that “the great themes of the ring, as a commentary on the current U.S. military nature, power and corruption, resound through engagement.The funny thing is that the WNO’s “American Ring” is likely to have wide appeal America’s past.”

She adds, “In many respects, the politicians on the European opera circuit because with and celebrities that are today’s superstars little effort it can easily be fitted into Europe’s perform as if they were the gods of Valhalla. It instinctive anti-American reflex.

“Eppur’ si muove,” as Galileo muttered after is especially fitting to undertake an American Ring in Washington D.C., where the concept of he had been condemned for heresy for saying the earth was round and orbited the sun – global power is a feature of daily life.”

Zambello’s Wotan, the chief god, is a power “and yet it moves.” Washingtonians have filled hungry suit – an uber-capitalist alternating the opera house for Das Rheingold and Die between self-justification and hand wringing Walkure, not because of a taste for self-

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“IT’S USUALLY DOMINGO who pushes the envelope ... the more bottom line oriented board would prefer to sail closer to the wind with crowd pleasing Traviatas and Rigolettos.”

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flagellation, but because the singing in both has been simply spectacular.

Of Walkure, Tim Page, the Washington Post’s distinguished music critic wrote (one might almost say gushed, but he was right):

Elmer Fudd as a Valkyrie in the 1957 Looney Tunes classic “What’s opera, doc?”

Wagner would probably not have been amused.

the WNO has made a smashing success of it. The Washington production (shared with the San Francisco Opera) may justify the English 18th century literary gadfly Samuel Johnson’s definition of opera as “an exotic

“IN MANY RESPECTS, the politicians and celebrities that are today’s superstars perform as if they were the gods of Valhalla.”

– Die Walkure director Francesca Zambello “I don’t know whether the Washington National Opera has ever presented a more thrilling 70 minutes than Act I, which featured the company’s 66-year-old general director, Placido Domingo, as Siegmund and the wonderful German soprano Anja Kampe as Sieglinde in rapturous duet. Their voices – fresh, lithe and lustrous – easily filled the hall, but they never sounded strained and there was none of that amped-up shouting that so commonly passes for Wagnerian declamation.

A glorious teaming: Exactly what an operatic love duet should be.”

The Times’ Tommasini called the WNO’s earlier Das Rheingold production “Fresh and impressive” and “colorful, abstract and well cast,” even if he wasn’t sold on the “American spin,” suggesting that in future productions it ought to be “damped down.”

Der Ring des Nibelungen is an awesome rite of passage for any opera company, and

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and irrational entertainment,” but isn’t it the singing that counts? Here, the casts in both instances have shone almost to a man or woman, and none more than Domingo himself, the “Energizer Bunny” of the opera world, who runs both the Washington National and the Los Angeles Operas, sings at the Met, fills in his spare time with opera engagements all over the globe – and gives the WNO governing board collective heart failure with the cost of each production, which runs between $1.5 and 2.5 million.

From all accounts it’s usually Domingo who pushes the envelope to bring new, or rarely heard operatic works into the season’s program, when the more bottom line oriented board would prefer to sail closer to the wind with crowd pleasing Traviatas and Rigolettos. But if the result is Wagner’s Ring or the WNO’s stellar production of Janacek’s Jenufa, this creative conflict is doing its job. The Domingo factor is what The Washington National currently gives Opera’s outstanding the Washington orchestra under Hans Fricke National Opera is part of the WNO’s success. its distinctive edge.

One should go and listen to him singing more or less anything because, as Tim Page says, “as hard as it may be to believe right now, Domingo won’t be singing forever.”

WAGNER RUNS RINGS AROUND POP CULTURE

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or a (slightly) earlier generation of moviegoers, “The Ride of the Valkyries” revives images of Robert Duvall’s Air Cavalry flight into a Vietnamese village in Apocalypse Now. But then again, the music could recall Elmer Fudd chasing Bugs Bunny in What’s Opera, Doc? – thought by many to be the best cartoon ever made.

Fudd, it will be remembered, is actually singing “Kill the Wabbit. Kill the Wabbit.”

Wagner’s stirring prelude to Act III of Die Walkure has been used to pump up the drama in dozens of movies since the introduction of sound in 1929.The Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin – as in the picture Runaway Bride, for example – is probably heard with equal frequency.

In fact, Wagner’s musical pyrotechnics have generally been a useful standby for film makers.The Goethe-Institut in Washington, which in March screened a series of films with Wagner background music, says Wagnerian themes have been used in more than 400 motion pictures world wide – 173 of them Hollywood productions, according to the Internet Movie Data Base.

The American films range from The Blues Brothers to Junk Mail, and from the 1934 von Sternberg film The Scarlett Empress (Ride of the Valkyries again) to the current Ghost Rider. Wagner himself has been portrayed on screen more than once, including by Richard Burton in a biographical picture. It wasn’t brilliant, unfortunately – one critic called it “a long movie about a guy who wrote long operas.”

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2007 - 2008 Season Opening Night Gala

La Bohème Giacomo Pucciniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Performance, Dinner and Dancing

Saturday, September 15, 2007 The Kennedy Center Opera House Curtain 7:00 p.m.

Gala Dinner with the Artists following the performance

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For more information call 202.295.2449 or email specialevents@dc-opera.org

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P O P

P O L I T I C S

Price of Liberty With the war in Iraq costing millions each day, what can we learn from our nation’s past leaders about posterity and safe guarding our financial future?

BY ROBERT D. HORMATS

A

s we celebrate those who have achieved remarkable financial success in Washington, it is worth reflecting on those individuals who many generations earlier established the U.S. financial and economic system that made all of this possible, and pay tribute to the principles that guided them.

A central goal of America’s early leaders was to leave a positive legacy for what they referred to as “their posterity.”That meant, among other things, not leaving heavy debt burdens for future generations to pay.

In his celebrated farewell address, George Washington warned Congress and the American people that they had a responsibility to “discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burdens we ourselves ought to bear.” Thomas Jefferson spoke with pride of his efforts “to make large and effectual payments toward the discharge of our public debt and the emancipation of our posterity from this moral cancer.” The future was a major concern; they understood what it would take to be revered as good ancestors by future generations.

Alexander Hamilton gave voice to this as well.

He pointed out that “as the vicissitudes of nations beget a perpetual tendency to the accumulation of debt, there ought to be a perpetual, anxious, and

unceasing effort to reduce that which at any time exists,” and emphasized that he “wished to see it incorporated as a fundamental maxim in the system of public credit … that the creation of debt should always be accompanied with the means of its extinguishment.”

In his view this was not only about establishing sound creditworthiness for the new nation, it was also about national security.

The government had borrowed heavily during the Revolutionary War. Hamilton called the debt that had been accumulated during this period “the price of liberty.”

In another war, which was widely anticipated at the time, the new nation would need to borrow again, and therefore needed to be seen as

President Dwight Eisenhower (here still a general) believed in leaving a positive financial legacy for future generations. He warned in his farewell address against “plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow.”

He lectured Congress:“We could not ignore the obligation we had to future Americans to reduce the deficit whenever we could appropriately do so,” and later added that, “under conditions of high peacetime prosperity we can never justify going further into debt to give ourselves a tax cut at the expense of our children.” In his farewell address Eisenhower warned against “the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow.”

We are a fortunate nation now.The economy is growing, jobs are being created, the deficit is shrinking and inflation is in check. While not all Americans benefit from this – many feel threatened by technological change, the rising costs of health care and education for their kids,

ARE WE MAKING

decisions today that will leave our “posterity” with a large debt that will undermine our economy and our security?

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scrupulously creditworthy, especially by potential foreign lenders. These concerns didn’t end with the death of our founding fathers. “There is,” said President Dwight D. Eisenhower a century and a half later, in arguing against large budget deficits, “no defense for any country that busts its own economy.”

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FOREFATHER WISDOM: Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington wanted to leave a positive legacy for what they referred to as “their posterity.” Alexander Hamilton argued for reducing the nation’s debt whenever possible saying, “the creation of debt should always be accompanied with the means of its extinguishment.”

trade, outsourcing and similar factors – the overall economy continues to look good for a great many people. But it is worth asking, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke did earlier this year, is this the “calm before the storm?”

Are we making decisions today that will leave our “posterity” with a large debt that will undermine our economy and our security?

President Bush spoke eloquently when he said he “came to this office to confront problems directly and forcefully, not to pass them to future presidents or future generations.” Yet without some serious change in Washington he will, doubtless to his regret, leave office having done exactly what he said he did not want to do.

Unless there is extensive reform of entitlement programs – Social Security and Medicare primarily – they will mushroom in the next decade and beyond and suck money from the rest of the budget, including defense, and require either a large hike in taxes or a big rise in federal borrowing and thus the nation’s debt. That will in turn mean an even greater dependence on foreign capital, given the very low savings rate in this country, and many unmet military and homeland security needs – some of which have been postponed because of the cost of the war in Iraq or by insufficient budgetary resources due to money being spent on lesser national priorities.

The country must find a way of keeping faith with its elderly, and those who need

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Can candidates use it to educate Americans about the need for tough choices to address these issues? Are they willing to advance ideas that will enable them to move decisively if they are elected? Great leaders have responded to great challenges in the past; to leave a better world for our posterity we need them again.

medical help, in a financially sustainable way.

Even if the defense budget were zero, this would be required. But given the costs of our national security requirements to wage the long war against terrorism it is particularly important.

This all comes to bear on the future business environment. Today, with a strong economy, tax cuts, low inflation and strong inflows of foreign capital, many in business have the wind at their back. But picture an economy in which the deficits rise as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest payments on the nation’s debt increase dramatically. Add to this a situation in which national security needs are not adequately met, leaving the country more vulnerable to terrorism or unable to robustly defend its interests abroad. Factor in the need to raise taxes or interest rates as the deficit rises, and in this circumstance With issues like Social Security, Medicare and to attract ever greater Medicaid looming, Federal Reserve Chairman flows of foreign capital on Ben Bernanke would be wise to take the advice of past leaders on “posterity.” reasonable terms – and it is no longer a rosy picture.

The silver lining is that all of this can be avoided. But there are no easy or soft answers. Hoping that growth will solve all The author Robert D. Hormats is Vice these problems will simply encourage the Chairman of Goldman Sachs (International), country and its leaders to avoid making the managing director of Goldman, Sachs & Co, tough choices. and author of The Price of Liberty.

The current campaign period is critical.

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WL’S

WEALTH Who has it? ...

JEONG KIM

I

DAVID AND ALICE RUBENSTEIN

go to Washington – if only to be near my money,” comedian Bob Hope once quipped. But forget about taxes pouring into federal coffers: With cash to flash, members of Washington’s growing mega-millionaire’s club ($200 million-plus) like to show their green in sometimes ritzy but mainly philanthropic ways.

Buy a baseball team? No problem.

Accessorize with megawatt Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes? Ditto.

Underwrite productions at the Kennedy Center? Done.

Washington’s wealth – sparked by the dotcom boom of the ’90s and fueled by the ever-rising real estate and stock markets – has “put a lot of money in people’s pockets and created a new level of wealth in Washington,”

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MARK WARNER

RAJENDRA AND NEERA SINGH*

says developer Ed Asher of the Chevy Chase Land Company. While ten Washington-area residents made the latest Forbes 400 list with fortunes in the billions, wealth is spread far and wide these days. Fortunes have been built on the backs of new technology, media, sports, real estate, government contracts and, of course, Washington’s original industry: politics.

In just three years, the number of Washington area families with liquid assets in the millions (that is, not counting residential property and 401Ks) grew a whopping 60 percent, from 88,000 in 2003 to 140,000 in 2006. Similarly, in a slightly higher stratosphere, those with $5 million plus in liquid assets grew 53 percent, from 15,000 to 23,000 families, according to Phoenix Marketing International.

Where the money goes, charity flows and luxury inevitably follows.

Across the capital region – particularly in places such as Chevy Chase, McLean, Middleburg, Georgetown and along the Potomac – WWII-era government housing is being torn down and converted into McMansions. Washington trails only California in the percentage of homes worth more than $1 million (7.67 percent), with Virginia and Maryland also in the top ten, according to a recent Businessweek report. Record-breaking sales – e.g. the reported $25 million that former banking honcho Robert Albritton paid for realestate mogul Herb Miller’s Georgetown mansion earlier this year – are increasingly commonplace.

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LI$T

In the first of a two-part series examining the state of wealth and philantrophy in the greater metro Washington area,WL and its team of researchers and writers turn their atttention on individuals with a net worth between $200 million and $10 billion ... Where did you land?

And who gives it away?

MITCH RALES

ROBERT AND MARION ROSENTHAL

“There was a time when you couldn’t give away the higher end houses,” says Nancy Taylor Bubes of Washington Fine Properties. “Today, there is a lot of trading, and a lot of it goes on privately. These are premier prices that Washington has never seen before.”

To cater to upscale housing tastes, chi-chi bathroom and kitchen fixture stores such as Waterworks (think $29,000 beaten-copper bathtubs) and ultra-sleek kitchen cabinet design outfit Poggenpohl have set up shop, with a string of high-end furniture stores along M Street in Georgetown. Houses must now have kitchens with Wolf appliances and cleverly concealed flat screen TVs hidden behind sliding oil paintings.

And in the custom closets? Gucci shoes, MaxMara gowns, Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label

JEAN AND STEVE CASE

suits and Louis Vuitton bags. With the 2005 opening of the Collection at Chevy Chase Center – nicknamed “Rodeo Drive East” – luxe shopping destinations include the area’s first free-standing Christian Dior, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels stores. Now, thousands of area customers can skip New York and shop close to home. Sales at Tiffany & Co.’s new store are hitting $3,000 per square foot annually, topping even New York sales. Asher says,“If a store does over $500 a square foot, you are ready to break out the champagne. We have exceeded our expectations.” And, he adds, it’s clear there’s room for more über-high-end retail. More and more companies catering to the wealthy are looking for a Washington niche.

Canyon Ranch, whose planned project on Old Georgetown Road had stalled, is said to be still

THERESA HEINZ KERRY

interested. And all sorts of development and entertainment schemes are afoot.

In local restaurants like Il Mulino New York, diners don’t hesitate to spend extravagantly, dropping upwards of $500 on fine wine alone. The Washington area ranks first in the U.S. in consumption of sparkling wine and champagne. One reason may be the never-ending cycle of fabulous balls, galas, fund-raisers and cultural events.

High-end steakhouse Morton’s has proved so popular that there are now as many locations here as in its hometown of Chicago. At catered parties, caviar (and iced vodka) stations are popular. Hosts “are finding more non-traditional reasons to celebrate and doing it more over the top,” says Susan Lacz of Ridgewells Catering.

Photo credits: †( c ) 2006, The Washington Post. Photo by Robert A. Reeder. Reprinted with Permission. *( c ) 1997, The Washington Post. Photo by Robert A. Reeder. Reprinted with Permission. °( c ) 1997, The Washington Post. Photo by Frank Johnston. Reprinted with Permission.

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W E A LT H L I S T

With valet, tenting, décor, flowers and food, people are willing to spend upwards of $500 per person.” Washingtonians, restaurant and hospitality consultant Linda Roth says, have the reputation of being willing “to pay more money for better products.”

While consumption may be getting a bit more conspicuous, Washingtonians also are among the most generous givers in the nation, from big donors – think Venture Philanthropy Partners, which routinely hands out millions, co-founded by Mario Marino, former Va. Gov. John Warner and Raul Fernandez, and elevated by the efforts of a legion of other founding investors such as Jack Davies, Ted Leonsis, Steve Case and Joe Robert, among others (See WL May 2006) – down to your next-door neighbors. City residents give, on average, $2,926 per family (surpassed only by those in Utah).

Add metropolitan Maryland and Virginia, and the amount rises another 10 percent, according to a soon-to-be-released study by Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy. We live in, notes Boston College researcher John Havens, “a culture of giving.”

In the following pages, we chronicle wealth and honor the philanthropic spirit of giving.

Through cross-referenced published records and the trusty guidance

TED LERNER

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MARK LERNER

of new and old reliable sources (“The Banker,” “Money Bags” and “The Accountant”) we offer our best estimates of each person’s net worth – a simple equation of what they have minus what they owe.

While this is not an exact science, it is a good indication of “who’s in the money.”

Now show me the money ....

BILLION AND OVER JOHN FRANKLYN MARS FORREST EDWARD MARS JR AND JACQUELINE BADGER MARS No surprise that the recent nationwide pet food recall did not include PEDIGREE products. After all, “Dogs Rule” – or such is the trademark of Mars, Inc.’s expanding pet food line. Mars has always placed consumers – the two-legged kind and, more recently, dogs and cats – first. John Mars is obsessed with efficiency, punctuality, and quality (now you know why Uncle Ben’s Rice doesn’t stick to the pot and M&M’s don’t melt in your hands).

Best known as the world’s largest confectioner, Mars has operations in 65 countries, producing $18 billionplus in annual sales. Forrest and John Mars are now retired, but continue to oversee business from the board room. Sister Jacqueline keeps busy with another company, and she also supports many theatrical productions, including The WNO.

STEPHEN BISCIOTTI

BILLION TO BILLION J WILLARD “BILL” MARRIOTT AND RICHARD AND EDWIN MARRIOTT The Hiltons may have the most famous family member (or infamous, if one correctly categorizes nightvision soft porn and a pending DUI incarceration), but the Marriotts have the patent on class. J. Willard’s Mormon upbringing on his family’s sugar beet farm was the real deal as far as the “simple life” – and, after a muggy stop in our nation’s capital, he ventured to quench its inhabitants’ thirst with wholesome A&W root beer, purchasing the franchise in 1927 and opening a nine-stool Hot Shoppe with his wife, Alice Sheets Marriott. The dynasty which followed saw son J. Willard Marriott, Jr. become CEO in 1972, though his father – true to his credo of “a man should keep on being constructive”– continued to keep “shoppe,” as it were. In the late 1990s, the company had 2,800 hotels worldwide, and in 2005, Fortune Magazine named Marriott International one of the top 100 best companies to work for (no. 89). In 1995, Marriott bought the troubled Ritz-Carlton chain for $331 million and brought it back; by 1999, its revenues were estimated at $1.4 billion. In 1993, the Marriott brothers, who live in Potomac, split the company: Richard controls ownership of Host Hotels and Resorts; Bill operates Marriott International. Whether the Marriotts

KINGDON GOULD III †

owe their successes to faith, fate or Fortuna’s wheel, someone up there likes them – or, at least, He or She likes room service.

MITCHELL RALES AND STEVEN M RALES The Rales brothers left their father’s real estate fir m and founded Equity Group Holdings.

As co-chairmen of the Danaher Corporation board, they’ve since purchased and revamped numerous small manufacturing companies (more than three dozen in 25 years), from Chicago Pneumatic Tool to Western Pacific Industries. Mitchell, who recently hosted The Charity Works 100 Point Wine Dinner, is one of the top-ten collectors of abstract expressionists in the world and is a big contributor to the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Steven contributes to politicians, primarily to republicans like Dan Quayle, but more recently to democrats like Howard Dean. They’re estimated to have over $2 billion each.

STEVE SCHWARZMAN Schwarzman helped Harvard MBA classmate George W. Bush found a ballet society – to meet girls. He’s managing director at Lehman Brothers at age 31, then, with partner, Peter G. Peterson, he founded Wall Street investment house Blackstone Group. Kennedy Center chair Schwarzman recently hosted

DON GRAHAM

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ROBERT JOHNSON

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SHEILA JOHNSON

RICHARD FAIRBANK °

the birthday bash of the century (his 60th) at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, attended by billionaires Donald Trump, Leon Black, Wilbur Ross and Thomas H. Lee. No doubt, his vision and largess will be most appreciated at the Kennedy Center for years to come.

BILLION TO BILLION PETER ANGELOS A quick Google search provides pages of vitriolic hits from Orioles fans ranting over Angelos’ handling of their team, which he purchased from Eli Jacobs in 1993 for $173 million. “He’ll still blow up any deal, free agent signing or draft pick if he feels like it. And he’ll do it for any reason that pleases him,” one says. When you’re a billionaire [excuse us, Angelos says, “I’m not a billionaire. Multi-millionaire is plenty”], you’re allowed to be somewhat eccentric; being wellliked is no longer of great concern.

Angelos’ roots are as a Baltimore trial lawyer and champion of both integration and his hometown – he ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1963 on the first integrated citywide ticket. In 1992, his wealth and law firm expanded exponentially when he represented a large number of plaintiffs in asbestos litigation and won. That’s when Angelos became a Baltimore power player – naturally, a player’s got to have a game, and Angelos chose baseball.

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J. W. MARRIOTT

STEPHEN J BISCIOTTI “From the ground up” might have eked a wry smile from Bisciotti as he opened his basement office, furnished with little more than second-hand desks and a first-hand knowledge of the temporary help industry. Having lost his own temp job, Bisciotti had insider information on providing aerospace and technology companies with skilled workers; his firm, Aerotek, shot into the stratosphere from a humble launching pad of two clients to become the sixth largest staffing firm in the world. Not bad for a guy with a liberal arts degree.

STEPHEN CASE Steve Case jumped from Froggies Used Books and Records in Waikiki, to Procter & Gamble, to co-founder of America Online. Now the Hawaiian-born billionaire is running the Revolution Health Group, a $500 million far cry from “You’ve got mail!” The group consists of a dozen companies, from Revolution Health which aims to change the U.S. healthcare system to Exclusive Resorts and Miraval Health Spa. Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is an investor and Case lured Carly Fiorina to his board. Case’s wife, Jean, guides the family’s foundation and the couple was recently honored by the nonprofit CityYear for their commitment to education.

RICHARD FAIRBANK When one can happily waive

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an annual salary and live on stock options, as Fairbank reportedly does, one has it made – especially if that stock is in Capital One, the 11th largest bank in the world. With 2.4 million in shares and vested options valued at $445 million, this flush financier quite literally – in the hip-hop parlance – makes “bank”; additionally, he’s “iced out” to the max. A partner in Lincoln Holdings LLC, the owner of the Capitals pro hockey team as well as the Washington Mystics. Fairbanks’ cash cow revolutionized the credit card industry. He had the vision to realize that the cards offer fingerprints of consumer behavior, and that this priceless data can be leveraged competitively to ensure Americans of all income levels get a crack at worry-free shopping … at least, until the bills roll in.

DONALD GRAHAM In a media town, The Washington Post is big news – and big money.

When Donald Graham took the scepter of CEO from mother Katharine Graham in 1991, he inherited a third-generation legacy of powerful punditry. Under the umbrella of The Washington Post Company, the Grahams control Kaplan, Inc., Post Newsweek Stations, Newsweek Magazine, Cable One and other smaller companies. Graham also serves as a director of BrassRing, Inc. and is a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board. He is president of the

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District of Columbia College Access Program and a trustee of the Federal City Council in Washington, D.C. ROBERT L JOHNSON BET is a goliath among TV channels; for many young people, it’s a brand, a community voice, style guide, news source and in some ways, a cultural identity. Johnson became the first African-American billionaire in the U.S., after selling the station to Viacom in 2001 for $3 billion.

The ninth of ten children growing up in the sleepy hamlet of Hickory, Mississippi, Johnson nevertheless thought big-picture. He recognized the void of black entertainment in the media, filling it so successfully that in 1991 BET became the first AfricanAmerican controlled company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

He has his hand in an assortment of pies at the moment: a recording studio, restaurant (Posh), and has the controlling interest in the Charlotte Bobcats. Returning to cultural avatar status, Johnson started Our Stories, a Los Angeles-based film company, with partner Harvey Weinstein in 2006.

P. Diddy only wishes.

SHEILA JOHNSON It’s highly appropriate that Sheila Johnson’s prospective Salamander Inn and Spa, an 85,000-square-foot French country resort in the heart of Middleburg horse country, should be named after that lively lizard – it’s the only animal that can walk

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through fire. Johnson, the ex-wife of BET co-founder Robert Johnson, may predate Oprah Winfrey as the first black female billionaire, but she’s “seen fire and she’s seen rain,” as the song goes – at least before the sale of BET to Viacom in 2001 for roughly $3 billion dollars. These days she’s as involved in the arts as she once was in television production – she donated $2.5 million to the Hill School’s performing arts program and sits on the board at Parsons School of Design. Then there are the other prerequisites to being a billionaire, including her own sports team (Washington Mystics), donating to political causes and establishing a charitable foundation that donated $5 million to the University of Virginia for the Sheila C. Johnson Center of Human Services. Looks like this former media player has all the bases covered.

ROBERT KOGOD Robert Kogod married into the Charles E. Smith real estate family and was soon building Crystal City. A generous philanthropist, he once handed $25 million to the Smithsonian Institution. None of those museums bear his name, but we do find the Robert and Arlene Kogod Theatre at the University of Maryland, the Kogod Center for the Arts at Sidwell Friends School, the The Kogod School of Business at American University, and the Robert and Arlene Kogod Program on Aging at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

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THEODORE LERNER MARK LERNER EDWARD COHEN AND ROBERT TANENBAUM Avoiding the spotlight has paid off handsomely for Ted Lerner, whose company, Lerner Enterprises has built in excess of 22,000 homes and 6,000 apartments, plus some 20 million square feet of retail and other commerical space (like White Flint and Tysons Corner). And in 2006 he and his family came up the winner as the new owners of the Washington baseball franchise. A hard-nosed businessman – he once fired his own brother – Lerner is known as a micromanager. In 2003, the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation dispensed $2.5 million. Still in the game? You better believe it.

DAVID RUBENSTEIN DANIEL AKERSON FRANK CARLUCCI WILLIAM CONWAY AND DANIEL D’ANIELLO The Carlyle Group: they’re all smarter and richer than you are. A global private equities firm with $56 billion of assets under management, none of these financial brains are being left out in the cold. It’s grown considerably under the direction of co-founder and managing director Rubenstein, a former Carter administration aid, who tends to have a finger in nearly every pie in the bake shop. He’s also a fixture on the boards of numerous schools, companies and foundations, as anyone who gets an average return of 25 percent per year on investments can afford to be.

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But he gives from the heart as well as the wallet; Rubenstein has given millions to his alma mater, Duke University, funded the Princeton Project on National Security and, most recently, gave $5 million to Johns Hopkins to support the building of a new outpatient facility for children and young adults: The David M. Rubinstein Child Health Building.

Conway has the credentials in spades. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, it’s no surprise that this level of education would lead to smart career choices and, in the new age of cellular communications, nothing’s hotter than being chairman of Nextel, CFO of MCI and co-lead independent director of the board of directors of SprintNextel. He¹s been all three. Prior to being king of cell phones, Conway served the First National Bank of Chicago in various capacities and founded The Carlyle Group.

Carlucci has a killer intellect, he’s a member of RAND, the war on terror’s metaphorical brain, and was defense secretary during the 9/11 attacks. As chairman emeritus of the Carlyle Group and the American Academy of Diplomacy, Carlucci’s a businessman with brains to spare.

D’Aniello, who also graduated from Harvard Business School (see a pattern?), went on to be a financial officer at Pepsico and TWA and then vice president for Finance and Development at Marriott Corporation. He’s got the chops and

business acumen to sit at the table with these brainy fellows.

Akerson, co-head of the group’s U.S. Buyout Fund, played a major role in the evolution and development of the U.S. telecommunications industry, serving as chairman and CEO of MCI, General Instrument and XO Communications, Inc. A Naval Academy graduate, Akerson now gives back by serving as a director of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and sits on the boards of American Express and United Components, which Carlyle purchased for $800 million in 2003.

B F “FRANK” SAUL II AND B F “FRANK” SAUL III The son and grandson of Washington mortgage lenders, 1969 saw Frank Saul opening a bank – in a trailer. Today, Chevy Chase Bank is the area’s largest locally-owned bank, crossing Maryland and Virginia.

Chances are you’ve stood in the holdings of the B.F. Saul Real Estate Investment Trust: numerous hotels and office buildings throughout Washington and the Mid-Atlantic. His generosity stretches from recipients of Catholic Charities to helping Providence Hospital in Northeast D.C. build a new nursing home.

MILLION TO BILLION A JAMES CLARK In the lineup of area general contractors, Clark Construction Group, Inc. is a first world power. Recently

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awarded a contract to build the new Johns Hopkins University Hospital to the tune of $573 million, Clark is one of several firms rebuilding the Springfield interstate highway exchange. Still not impressed? Clark has had a hand in some 400 big name builds in and around the Washington area, including seventeen metro stations, FedEx Field, the MCI Center, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the USAir Arena and PSINet Stadium for the Baltimore Ravens. If Clark had been in “Field of Dreams,“ he would have built that one too.

NEIL COHEN The CEO of District Photo (and son of Marvin), Neil bought, grew and sold Snapfish (a major online photo service) for more than a few pretty pennies. He continues to helm the company, which processes pictures and sells ancillary items both online and via the “concept retail store” he opened in Alexandria in 2004. He and wife Marcy are also quite active with Jewish causes and give generously to health and educational charities. As the old saying he was recently heard paraphrasing at a CharityWorks fundraiser goes:“no one ever went broke giving to charity.”

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Bailey Circus as worth $725 million in 2004. Being a ringmaster involves a certain amount of leger-de-main, and Feld’s been accused of shilling the public in the form of sending a private eye to investigate PETA – guess he’s trying to protect his lion tamers. A reporter named Jan Pottker alleges that Feld, wary of a family history she was working on, had her under surveillance for eight years. Neither charge was proven. As of 2007, Feld will be producing the iced-out version of rabidly popular teenybopper show, High School Musical. His achievements

and the Netherlands (the second) and infamous 19th century robber barons (Jay Gould, the first’s father). K3 is in the real estate and parking garage business; he runs Parking Management Inc., which owns and operates more than 100 such parking facilities in the Washington area. He’ll be best remembered for stubbornly sticking to his guns on a lucrative little piece of land next to the Convention Center -- valued at $68 million, this was one parking lot with which Gould III was reluctant to part. A prolific political donor, K3 has given generously and

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eliminated his daily grind. The years from 1996 to 2005 saw countless dotcom bubbles burst, but under Kampf ’s reign, Anteon kept rising. As fits the current mode of technologyoriented government contractors assembling, Voltron-style, Anteon was acquired in 2006 by General Dynamics for a cool $2.1 billion cash – Kampf ’s million shares in Anteon translated to about $59 million. His 2002 KPMG High Tech Entrepreneur Award, therefore, could not be more apropos.

He also serves on the board of directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

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TERESA HEINZ KERRY Baseball may be America’s national past time, but ketchup is most definitely its national condiment. As heiress to the Heinz family fortune, Heinz Kerry may aid and abet the mass consumption of fries, but she’s a conservationist at heart.

Sitting pretty in a 23-room, $5 million town home in Georgetown in addition to numerous other residences, she doesn’t need to play “catch up” when it comes to generosity; Heinz Kerry is famed for her philanthropy with much to be said for her visionary outlook toward solving complex problems in education, the environment and social welfare. She is married to preeminent political figure Sen. John Kerry – who, legend has it, wooed her with his semifluency in her native Portuguese.

valued at roughly $800 million, these A-listers of the art scene have endowed the Phillips Collection with $9 million, the National Symphony Orchestra with $10 million and the Smithsonian Institution with $10 million.

KENNETH FELD The big man of the Big Top, Kenneth Feld made his money sending in the clowns. Forbes cited this owner of famed Ringling Bros. Barnum and

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have recently been noted with an induction into the International Circus Hall of Fame.

KINGDON GOULD III Close associates of Gould affectionately call him K3, which sounds like a remote climbing destination but refers to his being the third in a line of illustrious Kingdons.

They’ve been New York financiers (the first), ambassadors to Luxembourg

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consistently to the campaign of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. He also sponsors the arts and community through the Shakespeare Theatre Company, the National Building Museum and Living Classrooms.

JOE KAMPF Although his name roughly translates to “struggle” in German, Joe Kampf ’s tenure as CEO of Anteon International Corp. pretty much

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NIGEL W MORRIS What did we ever do before credit cards? Fortunately, thanks to pioneers like Nigel Morris, co-founder with Richard Fairbank of Capital One in 1994, we don’t have to think about that era. Under Morris’s reign, Capital One’s customer base grew to 45 million, managed loans increased to more than $70 billion, and the company emerged as one of the top seven issuers of credit cards in the world. It’s no small wonder that the London Business School named this alumnus and grand vizier of Visa “Entrepreneur of the Year.”

ROGER AND VICKI SANT As head honcho of Applied Energy Services Corp (AES), a global powerhouse, Roger Sant realized the importance of reducing his considerable carbon footprint on Mother Earth; through the Summit Foundation – run with the aid of wife Vicki – this charitable couple donated $20 million to the preservation of the Amazon rainforests. Power may have been Sant’s primary focus, but painting came in a close second; the Sants are avid art collectors, focusing on such painters as Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard and Maurice Denis.

In 1999, they provided the National Gallery the means to establish an acquisition fund for 19th-century paintings. With their assets valued at roughly $800 million, these A-listers of the art scene have endowed the Phillips Collection with $9 million, the National Symphony Orchestra

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with $10 million and the Smithsonian Institution with $10 million as well – if beauty (and its preservation) is truly in the eye of the beholder, then the beholder owes much to the Sants.

CARL D SILVER The fierce concentration with which small boys, often making onomatopoetic “brrrrrr” sounds with their lips, playing with toy trucks doesn’t always portend an $800 million empire later in life. Silver began making profitable piles in high school by moving gravel with dump trucks – and, in quick succession, he “moved” cars at his own “Silverized” dealerships and his empire into the theater of real estate development, where he found his real genius. The Silver Company, both family (Carl’s son, Larry Silver, started coming to work with daddy at the tender age of ten) and regionally focused, is most famous for their Celebrate Virginia project, which spans 2,400 acres and is dubbed “America’s Largest Retail Resort.” Solidly grounded in the principles of tradition and integrity, Silver believes that “when you give, you also receive”; no false boast, as his 2006 windfall donation of $2 million to the new Lloyd F. Moss clinic for the uninsured poor was the largest gift it had ever received.

RAJENDRA AND NEERA SINGH The phrase “number crunching” tends to conjure up visions of bespectacled men with severe sideparts and inky fingers rather than baccarat at Biarritz; however, with a

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scholarship, $42 dollars in American currency and a postage stamp, this husband and wife duo turned a simple algorithm for wireless consulting into arithmetic alchemy. Early partners in Nextel and avid technological crestsurfers still – they invested in XM radio and provide cellular service in Latin America – the Singhs provide the next generation of dreamers with the same educational egress they were afforded through scholarship.

DAN SNYDER Snyder’s spring break could have been a permanent one after dropping out of college at the University of Maryland; instead, from the glamorous standpoint of his parents’ bedroom, he sold bacchanals in Boca and booze cruises in Cancun to other college students. Using this as a springboard, Snyder and his sister started the eponymous Snyder Communications, Inc., selling the company in 2000 for the then unprecedented sum of $2.3 billion. Sports, burgers, music and roller coasters are common interests that many twenty-something males share; however, not many of them are able to translate that into full and partial ownership of the Washington Redskins, Johnny Rockets, Red Zebra Broadcasting and Six Flags theme parks. After Tom Cruise’s couchjumping antics on Oprah, Synder picked up the slack from Paramount and inked a 2006 two-year deal which places him in the enviable role of “Goose” to Cruise’s erstwhile “Maverick”; in any case, Snyder’s $800

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million fortune (as Fortune Magazine reports) makes him a top gun in the charity world, as he controls the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and donates generously to D.C. program Yards for Youth.

MILLION TO MILLION RONNIE ABRAMSON A card-carrying member of “Greater Washington 2006 Legal Elite,” so named

by Washington SmartCEO, Abramson focuses his 30-year legal practice on mergers and acquisitions, real estate finance, and business and succession planning, as well as estate planning. He concentrates on privately owned largescale entrepreneurial business and owns a number of buildings on K Street.

Appropriately, he’s a member of the real estate section of the Washington, D.C., law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC. He’s also a doctor; in 2003,The Corcoran College of Art and Design granted Abramson a doctor of fine arts degree for his distinguished years as a trustee of the institution. In his spare time, Abramson sits on the New York University Council on the Future of Arts and Science and serves on the board of the Washington Airports’ Task Force.

DONALD BROWN JOE GILDENHORN AND BENJAMIN JACOBS It would be hard to find three guys who know the Washington landscape better than Brown, Gildenhorn and Jacobs. Since 1960, their real estate

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development firm, JBG, has had a hand in owning, managing and developing more than 20,000,000 square feet of office space, 4,000,000 square feet of retail space, 4,000 residential units and five of the top hotel properties in the area. In the last two years, it bought the District’s largest hotel,The Marriott Wardman Park, developed luxury condominiums as far as Reston and Rockville and even managed to put up a few buildings downtown. Though in recent years Brown and Gildenhorn to the side (Gildenhorn served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and campaigned for W.’s two elections) Jacobs still has a steady hand in operations. Brown, Gildenhorn and Jacobs are equally as known for their philanthropic endeavors. Each serves on numerous civic and public policy boards at Georgetown University, University of Maryland, American University, Arena Stage and the Woodrow Wilson Center.

ANDREA AND LAVINIA CURRIER The Currier sisters are heirs to a Mellon family oil and banking fortune and come from a long line of philanthropists and patrons of the arts – their grandmother, Ailsa Mellon Bruce, helped build the National Gallery of Art. To help preserve land in the Bull Run area, the two siblings gave (or lent) more than $2 million to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. Both serve on the Friends of Bull Run board. Lavinia is also a film-maker; in 1998 she directed and wrote the screenplay for

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“Passion in the Desert,” a feature film based on a Balzac short story.

TIM DONAHUE From 1996 to 2006, Donahue’s role in the telecommunications boom was a pivotal one; as head of Sprint Nextel, he was playing with the big boys: Verizon, AT&T, Cingular, et al. While in the saddle, he rustled up the $35 billion merger that created the nation’s third largest wireless carrier. He left a legacy of financial boom; during the

estate firm in America. In December, 2006, Realtor Magazine named him “one of the 25 most influential people in real estate.” Despite 2005 being a bad year for the sector, it proved to be L&F’s best year, with $68 billion in sales, a 17 percent increase over the previous year.

Foster personally pledged $200,000 to Hurricane Katrina relief and challenged his 15,500 employees to donate as well.

THE ABRAMSONS ARE so invested in green – and we’re not talking about their significant monetary assets – that they created a program to educate residents on environmentally friendly building.

ten years he was at the helm, Nextel experienced record setting financial results and a spot on the Fortune 200 list, with nine straight quarters of positive net income. He’s still cheering from the sidelines, Donahue promises, but spending time with friends and family is what it’s all about. Sounds like a telephone commercial.

P WESLEY FOSTER Chairman and CEO of McLeanbased Long and Foster, the largest real

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JEONG H KIM A convenience store clerk until he won a scholarship to Johns Hopkins, Kim joined the Navy, vowing to return to the business world in seven years’ time. Noticing a common technological problem in communications while working at the Naval Research Lab, he unobtrusively engineered a solution; then, borrowing against his house, he started Yurie Systems, which he sold in 1998 to Lucent Technologies for $1.1

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billion. Kim, who regularly gives back, is heavily involved in the University of Maryland as a faculty member, a building donor (the Jeong H. Kim Applied Sciences Building) and $5 million backer of the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

PHILLIP MERRICK He founded webMethods in 1996 with the “goal of developing an integration platform that would automate the world’s economy,” and he saw it grow from a threeperson team to more than 850 employees worldwide, with annual revenues of over $200 million and more than 900 customers. Recently struggling, it was sold to a German company for $546 million. Merrick, who has a B.S. in computer science from the University of Melbourne, Australia, established the webMethods Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping communities build critical infrastructures for healthcare, housing and education.

JOSEPH E ROBERT JR Robert oversees his eponymous five-division company that includes private equity and structured finance in commercial real estate and mortgages. J. E. Robert Co. has made more than $20 billion in investments in 14 countries since its founding in 1981. Robert is the founder of Fight For Children, Inc., which focuses on helping the most underserved children

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in the nation’s capital by expanding their opportunities for education and proper health care. His annual “Fight Night” benefit is an extravaganza few major business players want to miss.

MILLION TO MILLION SONNY ABRAMSON JR TowerCos of North Bethesda went green in 1997; wanting to be ahead of the curve, Sonny Abramson’s 50-plusyear-old company used eco-friendly technology in one of their biggest projects, the Tower Building off I-270.

The Abramsons are so invested in green – and we’re not talking about their significant monetary assets – that they created a program to educate residents on environmentally friendly building.

They give back in other ways, too. A longtime supporter of his alma mater, Sonny Abramson created a fellowship in his name at Brandeis University and established the Abramson Chair of Holocaust Studies there as well.

STEWART BAINUM JR One would imagine that Stewart Bainum Jr.’s dinner parties are spectacular – after all, this millionaire makes his living being hospitable.

Bainum is the chairman and director of Choice Hotels International, a worldwide lodging franchiser with Cambria SuitesTM, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, and Rodeway Inn brand hotels under its control. Bainum began his career

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as CEO of ManorCare, Inc. – a senior living company – in 1987 before going on to expand his repertoire to serving guests of all ages. In 2004, Choice Hotels reported earnings of $386 million, with the Bainums holding just under 40 percent of the stock.There’s no place like home away from home, it seems.

PETER BARRIS Barris’ daughters fondly recall their Chicago upbringing in a closeknit Greek family not unlike that in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.The sequel, My Big Fat Greek Bank Account, would come later. Barris began his career at General Electric and hasn’t taken a break since. He’s legendary for being the “honest” voice of venture capital firm NEA, where he’s managing general partner and known as the outspoken member of board who asks the tough questions. NEA managed about $5 billion in capital in 2002, with half a billion invested locally in the Washington, D.C./ Baltimore area.The list of boards with a seat marked “Peter Barris” is vast – Boingo Wireless, Inc., Broadview Networks, Cidera, DataCore Software, eCommerce Industries, Eziba, Laurel Networks, Mainstream Data, and Megisto Systems, to name a few – as his talent for finessing technology ventures is well known.

The Barris family gives generously and “reactively,” in his own words, to charity; “if something comes our way that we relate to, we give,” he says.

Now that’s electric.

DAVID BRADLEY At 26, Bradley launched his first venture, The Advisory Board Company, a for-profit think tank serving 4,000 corporations, financial institutions and medical centers around the world. Shortly after he took The Advisory Board and its sister enterprise, the Corporate Executive Board, public in 2001, Bradley sold his interest, which pushed his net worth well above $300 million.Today, among other ventures, he publishes The Atlantic Monthly, The National Journal, and the recently launched 02138, a magazine for Harvard grads.

He and his wife, Katherine, founded City Bridge Foundation, which funds projects in the Philippines, Russia, and South Africa and now focuses on education and interventions to serve families and children in Washington, D.C. They are also founding investors in Venture Philanthropy Partners.

HILDA OCHOA BRILLEMBOURG Ladies are doing it for themselves, and Ochoa-Brillembourg is doing it quite well. “It” refers to being ship’s captain of power-frigate investment management firm Strategic Investment Group and also director of Emerging Markets Investment Corporation and Emerging Markets Management, LLC. Not too shabby. Finance and internationalism are closely intertwined; Ochoa-Brillembourg served many years at the World Bank and was treasurer of the C.A. Luz Electrica de Venezuela in Caracas. She is active with numerous nonprofits, including

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the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, the Washington National Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra.

A life filled with riches, music and first-class airfare? We could imagine worse fates.

C DANIEL CLEMENTE Chairman of the board of Clemente Development Co., he started his own legal firm fresh out of Georgetown Law School, then got into commercial real estate in Northern Virginia, developing properties like Brighton Malls in Falls Church. Clemente also advises wealthy individuals and businesses, famously rescuing Digital Commerce Corp. from bankruptcy (and remaining as its chief stockholder). He is the founder of Community Bank and Trust in Springfield and First Commercial Bank of Arlington, and a family trustee of the 137-year-old, privately-held food giant Cargill. A staunch Republican, Clemente aided George Bush’s 2004 campaign and the Federal Victory Fund in 2005.

ROSALIE COHEN RICHARD COHEN RONALD COHEN AND RANDI LYNN COHEN HARRIS The Cohens should have their own TLC special: “Renovating D.C.” Instead of perky television makeovers of clueless, suburban housewives, this program would focus on the their relentless redevelopment of area landmarks and the resulting, ongoing cash flow. Richard, who stepped into father William Cohen’s shoes as head

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of Willco Construction, has revamped sites on Pennsylvania Ave., 10th Street N.W., New York Avenue and, most recently, the Vanguard Building at 1111 19th Street. The rest of the Cohen brood remains busy and comfortably well-to-do. Forget sitcoms; call the History Channel.

DIANE AND BERTRAM FIRESTONE Johnson & Johnson heiress Diane met real-estate mogul and race-horse enthusiast Bertram Firestone (no relation to the tire dynasty), forming a true marriage of interests and interest (financial). Renowned horse people and Hunt Country residents, the Firestones train thoroughbreds with Olympian golden boy Michael Matz, who trained Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. In 1980, Diana Firestone’s Genuine Risk became the second filly to win that race. Their daughter Alison carries the family colors, having qualified as an alternate on the 2004 Olympic equestrian team.

MICHELLE FREEMAN The widow of Carl M. Freeman Companies CEO Joshua Freeman, Michelle Freeman took over chairship of the Carl M. Freeman foundation with aplomb. The tragedy was of a grand scale – they’d been married less than seven years, with small children, when her husband died in a helicopter accident – but Michelle Freeman’s reserves of strength were of similar size. Established by Carl in 1960, the

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CMFF has supported philanthropic causes in the greater Washington, D.C. area for over 40 years. A licensed real estate broker, owner/founder of Pilot Properties on the Delaware Shore and manager of the historic, 500-acre Freeman Family Farm in Gaithersburg, Michelle’s capable hands will be sure to spend the $300 million or so left by her late husband with equal reserve and aplomb.

CATHERINE HUGHES The Washington Post was likely surprised when Hughes, armed only with the questionably puissant firearm of WOL-AM, had the chutzpah to boycott the media giant. Founder of the African-American network Radio One, Hughes and television producer hubby Dewey Hughes put up $100,000 of their own money to buy troubled WOL-AM. Having knocked on the doors of 32 banks for the rest, one was finally creaked open by a Puerto-Rican female officer who was new on the job, luckily for them.The radio’s slogan, “Information is Power,” didn’t rocket to the top of the charts immediately, and personal troubles (divorce, faltering finances) had the Hughes’ airwaves playing the blues. In 1999, when Radio One was first traded publicly, its estimated value was $924 million, bringing Catherine Hughes’ back to the “top of the pops” financially – to the tune of $300 million or so. Radio One’s recent spate of successes include adding Tom Joyner to the lineup and reaching the level of a fifty-station-strong, eight-

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million-a-week audience. There’s no danger of radio silence for this lady anytime soon.

DARRELL ISSA The second wealthiest member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Issa was the CEO of Directed Electronics Incorporated, the consumer electronics company known for the Viper alarm system. Indeed, it’s Issa’s own voice that intones, “Warning, you are too close, this vehicle protected by Viper.”

A GOP member of congress from California since 2001, who helped engineer the fall of democratic Gov. Gray Davis and then got muscled aside

by Arnold Schwarzenegger for the job, Issa is a partner in both DEI LLC and Third I LLC, and is on the board of directors of five companies as well as trustee of Sienna Heights University.

JAMES KIMSEY Founding CEO and chairman emeritus of AOL, Kimsey owned more than $78.8 million worth of AOL stock way back in 1997 and has seen his huge investment in that company rise and then fall after the illfated merger with Time-Warner. An Air Force Ranger in Vietnam, where he established an orphanage after his first tour, Kimsey is a practicing humanitarian. He is the chair of the International Commission of Missing Persons, and is very engaged in foreign affairs, meeting with generals about the Iraq war and traveling to Vietnam with President Bill Clinton.

MANDY AND MARY OURISMAN

A founding investor in Venture Philanthropy Partners, Kimsey remains active in many charitable causes including Refugees International.

In 2000, he bought a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house worth $2.5 million next to his McLean mansion.

He is also on the board of many other companies and organizations, including Capital One,Thayer Capital and Georgetown University.

SAMUEL LEHRMAN ROBERT LEHRMAN AND HEIDI BERRY Samuel Lehrman realized that basic human needs are always marketable; to this end, he and N.M. Cohen addressed feeding hungry Washingtonians with the opening of the highly successful Giant Food Inc, the first supermarket in the District in 1935. The heirs now run the Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation, which supports and enriches Jewish life in the District and Israel with support for the arts, education, environment and healthcare.

THEODORE “TED” LEONSIS If Al Gore invented the Internet, then Ted Leonsis is its indefatigable engineer, constantly tinker ing to make it work even better.

Steve Case has bailed, but early AOL exec Leonsis serves as vice chairman of the international online phenomenon. Heard of Weblogs, Soundsystem tickets, Advertising. com,Ticketmaster.com or Mapquest?

Leonsis has significant ownership

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interest in all of these companies that make for a smooth ride on the electronic highway, not to mention his stake in Lincoln Holdings, which owns the Washington Capitals and Mystics. At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, he debuted his film Nanking, and sold the rights for $2 million to Fortissimo Films. Of the $425 million estimated to be weighing down his pockets these days, the Georgetown-educated tycoon and his wife, Lynn, give back a goodly portion through the Leonsis Family Foundation, which helps underprivileged children.

ELEANOR MERRILL A promotion is usually an occasion for champagne uncorking and hearty back-slaps; however, Ellie Merrill’s ascent to the top of the Washingtonian masthead was a somber affair. All of Washington mourned last year when authorities had found the sailboat of her entrepreneurial husband, publisher Phillip Merrill, sans captain. Phillip Merrill had added the magazine to his holdings for $3.6 million decades earlier and led it to profitability in the neighborhood of $75 million, should he have wished to resell. An early stock buyer in The Washington Post and owner of the Annapolis Capital, Merrill had also been a political powerhouse; he worked at the State Department during the Kennedy/Johnson years and was president of the ExportImport Bank and senior U.S. official to NATO under Bush senior. Wife Ellie was no slouch either – she was a

MICHAEL SAYLOR

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ELLIE MERRILL

congressional liaison officer for Latin America at the U.S. Department of State, and served as press secretary to Sen. Kenneth B. Keating (R-New York). In the wake of the tragedy, Ellie Merrill will use her capable hands at work while remaining active in the philanthropic realm; a trustee of Ford’s Theater and the Shakespeare Theater as well as a member of the community boards of the Kennedy Center, Merrill keeps busy by giving back.

MAGALEN OHRSTROM Magalen Ohrstrom Bryant oversees the inheritances from her father, the founder of Johnson & Johnson. The reclusive Ohrstrom family owns shares in Dover Corp. and Carlisle Cos. in New York, as well as Winchester, Va.-based plastics maker O’Sullivan Corp. An active environmentalist, she’s president of the board of the Environmental Resources Trust, a Washington group dedicated to preserving the global environment.

Her brother George, who died three years ago, and with whom she comanaged the family holdings, was a classmate of former president George H.W. Bush at Greenwich Country Day School in Connecticut and an investor in the current President Bush’s Texas oil business.

GEORGE PEDERSEN 9/11, as we’ve all heard ad nauseum, changed America forever; the resulting sense of hyper-paranoia gave birth not only to long lines at the airport but to a brave new

KENNETH FELD

industry of security and government watch-doggery, which meant big business for George Pedersen and ManTech, Inc. Occupying the somewhat Orwellian role of being cyber-McGruff, ManTech is a leading provider of technologies for “missioncritical” national security programs for the intelligence community, the Department of Defense and other federal customers. Pedersen cofounded the company in 1968, but the red-alert levels of terror in the post 9/11 period are what propelled the company to go public in 2001 with an IPO of $115 million. Pedersen, who acknowledges that his “only real hobby in life” is the business, won’t be bored anytime soon – during 2003, ManTech Inc. and its 6,000 employees won several federal contracts with a total estimated value in excess of $1 billion. Now that’s taking a bite out of crime.

ABE POLLIN The man who brought back downtown Washington owns 51 percent of the Wizards, currently valued at about $400 million. The well-liked one-time developer also owns all or most of the Verizon Center. He bought the Capitals franchise for $1 million and turned it over for approximately $85 million to Ted Leonsis and his partners at Lincoln Holdings. An avid tennis player, Pollin holds the record as the longest running team owner in the NBA. He also holds some sort of record for being the only man with

enough backbone (and chutzpah) to fire Michael Jordan. He’s estimated to be worth about $250 million, but “Money Bags,” and “Our Banker” say that his real estate holdings make him worth much, much more.

ROBERT ROSENTHAL This dealer of wheels in a town of wheeler-dealers opened his first Chevy sales lot when the big car was king, a coy glance over a frosty sodafountain malted was a first date and Mister Sandman sent us a dream.

From 1954 to today, Rosenthal’s star has risen from that lone Arlington metal-moving shop to a constellation chain of 19 dealerships doing $1 billion in annual sales. In later years, following the Crazy Ed’s Cars credo of “Everything must go!”, the car czar sold off some of his automotive lots for real estate development. An eye for aesthetics as well for a great bargain, Rosenthal uses some of his car cash to sit pretty on the National Gallery of Art Trust Council.

MICHAEL SAYLOR Co-founder, chairman and CEO of MicroStrategy, Saylor’s $318 million fortune is down by several billion from his heyday (rumor has it he lost $2 billion during one transatlantic flight because he kept his money invested in stock of the company he believes in).

Known for his over-the-big-top persona and fabulous parties, he is actually a thoughtful, soft spoken eccentric with big aspirations, like starting an online university for the masses featuring Bill

TANYA AND DAN SNYDER

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Clinton and Warren Buffet. Saylor’s company is famous for having the most alums who went on to create their own start-up ventures: 21 former MicroStrategy employees have gone on to start 12 companies in Maryland alone. His Saylor Foundation supports many charitable organizations, including Best Buddies International, Fight for Children and the American Red Cross.

DWIGHT SCHAR Dwight Schar started his career on a very specific kind of board – a blackboard, as a humble schoolteacher.

Supplementing his modest income with a weekend sales job with Ryan Homes, he took a leap of faith, leaving academia and purchasing the thenbankrupt company; this grew into the Goliath homebuilder-mortgage company NVR. Schar’s political ventures are no less bold; he’s a major player in Northern Virginia and was a part of the 1999 Virginia GOP delegation promoting then-Governor Bush to make a run at the White House.

Bush returned the favor, choosing the Schar residence as home base for a posh GOP fundraiser. Business and politics mixed; Schar says that Bush’s support for limits on lawsuits against homebuilders was the dealmaker as far as his support was concerned. These days everything’s coming up roses for the Schars; he’s invited to state dinners, was appointed as a Kennedy Center trustee in 2002 and bought a ten percent stake in the Redskins for an estimated $100 million.

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DOUG SMITH In the early ’90s, Doug Smith was building a wireless telecommunications company called Omnipoint, which would grow to 2,500 employees before merging with Voicestream and two other regional companies in 2000. His wife, Gabriela Smith, ran health and education projects in Bolivia; their common interests in children and education led to heavy involvement with Venture Philanthropy Partners, to which they are greatly committed to date. The Smiths started the Amanter fund (which means “to love” in Latin), which focuses on supporting these same principles of family and knowledge.

MILLION TO MILLION JOHN E AKRIDGE III Ever shop for strawberry Pocky at Da Hua in Chinatown or stroll to see presidential mugs at the National Portrait Gallery? If so, tip your hat to John Akridge, a major player in Gallery Place’s construction. A builder by trade, Akridge is still an Eagle Scout at heart: “Make sure it’s legal, moral and ethical first,” he says, and then adds, “Hopefully, it will also make money.” Akeridge’s days as a Scout fostered his fascination with the great outdoors, and today his Eastern Shore farm functions as a demonstration site for protecting wetlands and wildlife, which befits his status as leader of the Nature Conservancy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

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JOE AND ROBERT ALBRITTON Although there was no evidence he knew about the illegal activities, avid equestrian Joseph Albritton became something of a dark horse himself following the Augusto Pinochet–Riggs Bank investigation. Running true to form, Albritton rallied from the scandal, and in 2004 Riggs was sold to PNC for approximately $652 million. At that point, Albritton owned 41 percent of the stock. A journalistic buff, Albritton has backed or owned The Washington Star in the Ford-Carter days and started The Politico and Politico.com in 2007. The Washington Post once described Joe as “quiet, private, philanthropic, boardsitting, art-buying, [and] horse-racing.”

Not a bad list.

ERIC BILLINGS AND J ROCK TONKEL JR Friedman, Billings and Ramsey’s co-founder, Billings, and president, Tonkel, should be sleeping a bit better at night now that the Securities and Exchange Commission has concluded the investigation of “Chinese Walls,” the separation between investment banking and other areas of the firm and paid their fine of $4.5 million.

FBR’s revenue ($995 million) was down 10 percent last year and they lost their stronghold on real estate and financial service companies, but insiders are still confident that Billings and Tonkel’s leadership will continue to successfully guide the firm. The bottom line is that Billings and Tonkel have been good to the

JACQUELINE MARS

FRANK RAINES

Washington community. Through the firm’s foundation and their personal efforts, they actively support a number of charitable organizations including the boards of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, board of visitors for the Robert H. Smith School of Business, and Greater Washington Sports Alliance.

SAMUEL W BODMAN III As secretary of energy, Bodman may well advocate conserving resources, but when it comes to money, he’s good to go. Interestingly, Bodman began life as a man of science, receiving his ScD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and for the next six years served as an associate professor of chemical engineering there. Later, he married scientific knowledge with business acumen, becoming chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments and later director of Cabot, the Boston-based global chemicals behemoth. Politically, Bodman has contributed to republican causes.

KEN BRODY Ken Brody sees the big picture where investments are concerned; as environmentalists advise, he thinks globally and acts locally. A milkman’s son, Brody originally had an engineering degree; his enrollment in the Harvard Business School changed his life, leading him to two decades at Goldman Sachs and a lifetime friendship with Bill Clinton. Brody is the cofounder of the investment firm Taconic

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Capital Advisors, LLC and founding partner with Winslow Partners, a private investment firm.A chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. from 1993-1996, he established the Carolyn and Kenneth D. Brody Foundation in 1999, which supports the American Red Cross, St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, the Washington Tennis Foundation, and the University of Maryland Foundation.

CALVIN CAFRITZ CARTER CAFRITZ CONRAD CAFRITZ WILLIAM CAFRITZ AND BUFFY CAFRITZ The Cafritz name has been a Washington fixture for almost a century, with Morris and Gwen Cafritz’s 1937 Foxhall Road mansion an epicenter of D.C. social life. Real estate was more than mortgages and refinancing in the Cafritzian heyday; it was empire building by exercising sway over the city’s eco-political mapping.

More recent times have seen internecine legal warfare (Calvin, who was left in charge of the families generous philanthropic giving, was sued by his brothers over mom’s estate), but “The Banker” and “Money Bags” tell us the brothers have hundreds of millions in personal assets. Calvin carries on the tradition of community building through the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

CATHERINE MELLON CONOVER Once married to Senator John Warner, this reclusive granddaughter of legendary financier Andrew W. Mellon inherited a $100 million portfolio, which she’s reportedly turned into something more like $300 million. In the 1970s divorce settlement, former hubby Warner got some nice land for raising horses and $9 million. Conover, who prefers to use her mother’s maiden name, still has plenty of wherewithal to do things like endow the Pen/Faulkner fiction prize and remain active as the founder of Island Press, a small D.C.-based publisher of environmental works.

H LAURENCE CULP JR With Danaher Corporation for 17

office – and on the job – by giving them a free lunch every day. Delaney made Capital Source a success by servicing mid-size businesses ignored by banks.

RONALD DOZORETZ Ronald Dozoretz is the founder of FHC Health Systems. Over the past decade, he and wife Beth have contributed more than $1 million to political candidates. Beth is a devoted democrat – she’s given heavily to both Bill and Hilary and recently hosted a fundraiser for Bill Richardson – but Ron takes care of business by contributing to both parties. The first female executive of Casual Corner and the first woman to serve as finance chair of the DNC, Beth – who sits on

support the next generation of Capitol Hill interns looking for laptops and a lucky break.

EMMANUEL FRIEDMAN Prior to starting FBR in 1989 with Eric Billings and Russell Ramsey, Friedman had been a senior vice president at Johnson & Lemon and before that retail broker at Legg Mason. A 2006 settlement over an insider trading case personally cost him $1.3 million but he was not charged with any insider trading himself. The Emmanuel Friedman Charitable Fund has given to Brooklyn College, among many other recipients.

C BOYDEN GRAY An heir to a Reynolds Tobacco fortune, C. Boyden Gray has the posh résumé that naturally precedes a career in politics and law; he clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren for a term, joined the firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in 1969 and served as legal counsel for Vice President George Bush. He’s not just another suit, however; Gray’s got a pet pig named Penelope, a membership in the Federalist Society and now serves as ambassador to the European Union.

IN 1991, [RAUL FERNANDEZ] started Proxicom with $40,000.Then, a chance meeting with Ted Leonsis on a commercial airplane led to an affiliation that helped Proxicom reach $200 million in revenue by the year 2000.

NICHOLAS D CHABRAJA This General Dynamics Corp. chairman and CEO and lawyer-turnedbusinessman (he’s been a Jenner&Block partner and a special counsel to the House of Representatives) started at the company in 1993 as general counsel and vice president. Under his leadership, from 1997 to 2001, General Dynamics averaged a 19.2 percent annual return on equity, twice that of other defense contractors. In 2005, the company reported $21.2 billion in revenue, and when its stock rose in 2006, Chabraja earned a salary plus bonus of $4.3 million.

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years, the 44-year-old exec has been its CEO for the last six. The marriage must be a happy one: his total compensation of $46.2 million in 2006 was the area’s highest.The bulky package breaks down into some nice chunks – $41 million in stock and options, another $5 million in salary, bonus and additional goodies like use of the corporate jet. Having doubled Danaher’s market value has paid off for the Harvard MBA: his 2006 compensation is but the tip of a financial iceberg that appears impervious to warming. Were he to sell his 2,268,000 vested options at present value he’d realize more than $100 million before taxes.

JOHN DELANEY The founder and chief executive of Capital Source isn’t just on a fast track – he’s on a turbo track. He keeps his 300+ employees in the

theV-Day Council, a movement to stop violence against women worldwide – is vice chair of the advisory board of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

RAUL FERNANDEZ When Rep. Jack Kemp decided against running for president in 1988, Fernandez, one of his interns, switched tracks and went into computers. In 1991, he started Proxicom with $40,000.

Then, a chance meeting with Ted Leonsis on a commercial airplane led to an affiliation that helped Proxicom reach $200 million in revenue by the year 2000. Today, Fernandez is an owner of the Washington Capitals, the Washington Wizards and the Verizon Center. Remembering both his days on the Hill and his move to computers, Fernandez and wife Jean Marie, who co-founded the Fernandez Foundation,

SIDNEY AND JANE HARMAN Sidney serves as the president of Harman International Industries’ and financed Jane’s entry into the political arena. The couple last year gave $15 million to help build the Harman Center for the Arts which will combine the existing Shakespeare Theatre with the new building to house the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

RODNEY P HUNT The classic teenage need for a little extra cash led a 14-year-old Hunt to start a lawn cutting business in his hometown of Fort Washington.

The grass business turned very green when Hunt expanded his operation

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to 70 clients in the first month and $2 million in gross revenues over a fouryear period. In 1992, he co-founded RSIS, which provides information technology, systems engineering, telecommunications and scientific services and solutions. RSIS, which now supports 100 prime contracts with civilian and defense agencies of the federal government, is the 15thlargest African-American-owned service company in the country and the largest minority-owned contractor in the Washington, D.C. region.

WILLIAM J INMAN Americans have a few consistent dreams in common: family, health, happiness and – luckily for mortgage maestro Inman – a place to call home.

Financing that last dream? Top-tenlisted company NVR Mortgage Finance, Inc., of which Inman is president, is more than happy to help. The company’s success is due in part to the clever combination of homebuilding and helping families buy already existing property, with a neat customer service manifesto of specifically aiding NVR-built home mortgages. In 2005, Inman received an incentive reward worth 84 percent of his already titanic base salary – looks like he’s one man who’s home free, mortgage regardless.

DOUGLAS JEMAL Almost everybody’s friend, Jemal dodged a major federal bullet this year when he was acquitted of charges that he bribed a D.C. official to get

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sweetheart contracts. Here since 1966, when he was “The Wiz,” Jemal parlayed his small holdings into an empire that includes the old Woodies building. His restored mini-mall on Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park was a historic preservation first – and an ongoing financial success.

HERB KOHL Democrat Kohl ranks fi rst in wealth in the U.S. Senate. His catchphrase, “Nobody’s senator but yours,” implies his being above bribery and corruption – not a hard thing in his case since he has somewhere between $219 and $234 million socked away. Kohl’s an Everyman – he’s served his country in the armed forces, is an avid sportsman (he owns the Milwaukee Bucks) and above all, is a nice Midwestern guy, albeit with a family empire built upon Kohl’s grocery and department stores.

BRUCE LEVENSON AND ED PESKOWITZ Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz weren’t miners, but they did dabble in black gold; with backgrounds as oil jobbers, the duo entered the newsletter field. Then struck out on their own with the 1977 launch of United Communications Group from Bruce’s one-bedroom apartment.

Guerilla-style tactics such as slipping the newsletter under nearly 1,000 hotel doors at an oil conference, made UCG a powerhouse publisher which today produces more than

RUSS RAMSEY

160 publications and services in such fields as healthcare, funeral services, automotive, financial services, education, government, postal infor mation, taxes, telecommunications, technology, and, of course, oil and energy. Levenson and Peskowitz, still fast friends, also now have nine separate companies, including the Wall Street favorite Tech-Target IT media company and a significant interest in the NBA Atlanta Hawks, NHL Atlanta Thrashers, and the arena in which both teams play.

FRED MALEK Malek founded Thayer Capital Partners in the 1990s and is the chairman and CEO of Thayer Hotel Investors (which owns and operates $2 billion worth of hotels in the U.S.). He was president of Marriott in the 1980s. A Republican who once co-owned the Texas Rangers with W, he remains close to the family. A 1999 profile in Washingtonian put his net worth at $250 million. Malek was also deputy under secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare under Elliot Richardson; special assistant to President Nixon; and deputy director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

DOUGLAS MCCORKINDALE As former CEO of Gannet, owner of the media monolith USA TODAY, McCorkindale was the first name on an important routing slip. Prior to heading Gannet, he practiced corporate, securities and

banking law with Thacher, Proffitt and Wood in New York. The reach of this multifaceted man extends to directorships of the Associated Press, Continental Airlines and Lockheed Martin. An avid golfer, with a we-kid-you-not six handicap, McCorkindale is a member of the PGA Tour Equipment Advisory Committee.

RACHEL MELLON Pittsburgh’s golden boy, banker Andrew W. Mellon, once the third richest man in the country after John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford, raised his son Paul in grand style. Paul Mellon spent his childhood summers in the English countryside, where his lifelong love of British culture began.

Second wife Rachel “Bunny” Mellon and he had much to talk about – she’s from “across the pond.” Now his widow, she remains devoted to British horticulture, having used her floral finesse in helping design the Rose Garden at the White House, among other things. Born a Lambert – and therefore heiress to the considerable Listerine fortune – Bunny continues to use her millions to support the arts and equestrian pursuits.

MANDELL OURISMAN People who don’t even own cars have heard of Ourisman Chevrolet. the 34th largest dealer group in the nation. Accordingly, “Mandy” Ourisman is a fixture of the Washington social circuit, and accepts his status as one of the

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most-invited with equanimity; after all, “You always get your way at Ourisman Chevrolet,” as the famous jingle goes. The $200 million in satisfied drivers began as a single, humble dealership at 21st and H St. run by dad Benjamin Ourisman in the 1920s; a good start, but it was his son who put it into overdrive and the $500 million revenue bracket.

HENRY M PAULSON Currently the secretary of the treasury – and the wealthiest member of the cabinet – Paulson is a former chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. Outdoors, he’s been chairman of the Nature Conservatory and a member of The Peregrine Fund.

The committed environmentalist has quietly donated $100 million (of his personal wealth) to Bobolink, Goldman Sachs philanthropy foundation to preserve and educate the Nation about the environment.

His passions are fishing and bird watching.Too bad he’s not running the EPA or the Department of the Interior.

FRANK RAINES A true success story, Raines, a janitor’s son from Seattle, graduated from Harvard College, Harvard Law School and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. To accept the post as Bill Clinton’s budget director, he had to leave Fannie Mae, where he was chairman and CEO, but returned after his public service. He was one of the first African-Americans to head a Fortune 500 company. The accounting scandal and ongoing SEC investigation that caused him to be ousted by the Fannie Mae board has tainted his record, but it hasn’t diminished his many accomplishments. And the company’s non-profit charitable organization is one of the biggest in the country.

W RUSSELL RAMSEY Named one of the top four “people to see” in the Washington financial community by Newsweek, Ramsey was also a “baller” early in life, when he was sent to George Washington

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University on a baseball scholarship.

His $300 million fortune started gaining capital early on, as Ramsey co-founded Friedman, Billings and Ramsey LLC 20 years ago – and he’s only 46 today. Ramsey’s another NoVa real estate king, and he also shares common interests with Mark Warner; he was on the former governor’s PAC campaign to help elect Democrats nationally. Having resigned from the FBR in 2001, Ramsey currently is chairman and CEO of Ramsey Asset Management LLC – like so many of his millionaire pals, having made the money, he now focuses on managing

ALBERT G VAN METRE Virginia may be for lovers, but its real estate market was decidely for sellers these past few years. No one was as surprised – or as pleased, perhaps – as Van Metre Companies’ CEO Albert G. Van Metre, whose net worth rose by $70 million (to $250 million) between the 20052006 year of boom and bloom alone. [“I’d] never seen anything like this, and I’ve been in business for 50 years,” he said, attributing the rise to record-low interest rates and soaring land values. Shopping, particularly in the NoVa retail resort complexes

WARNER’S A MODERN day Faustus in terms of uncanny runs of good luck – an early investor in Nextel, he cleared the $200 million mark with room to spare.

the ducats of other dukes of fortune.

Completing the made-man mold, Ramsey’s level of activity in charity work is staggeringly high – he’s a partner in music legend Quincy Jones’ “Rocking the Corps,” a staunch supporter of Big Brother/Big Sister, and participates tirelessly in Makea-Wish, School Night and Fight for the Children foundations. He’s a team player on and off the diamond.

PAUL C SAVILLE As far as Saville is concerned, locals can have their cake and eat it too; or, more appropriately, build their dream home and pay an affordable mortgage through the same company.

Saville is CEO of NVR, Inc., which is engaged in the construction and sale of single-family homes and condominiums. NVR also operates a mortgage banking business. Founded in 1948, the company was originally tailor-made to suit the baby-boomermakers of World War II, but today has expanded to serve 18 metropolitan areas in 11 states.

strewn along the major arteries of transportation throughout the region, has never been more lucrative. Upon the 50th anniversary of his company, Van Metre Sr. donated over $600,000 to area charities, making the familyfocused business – son and stepson both hold management positions – community-focused as well.

MARK R WARNER Labeled a “New Democrat,” likely due to his Forward Together PAC chairmanship and support of

moderate-conservative “Blue Dogs” of the donkey party. Whatever the specifics of his alliances and their relative animal names, Warner ran and won the race for governor in his home state of Virginia in 2001. He proved immensely popular, with an approval rating over 8o percent; gossip is that if that pesky no back-to-back term law had been repealed, he’d be sitting in state as we speak. Warner’s a modern day Faustus in terms of uncanny runs of good luck – an early investor in Nextel, he cleared the $200 million mark with room to spare. A run for president in 2008 was allegedly turned down by this family man, who preferred to keep his brood of little Warners safe from the media machine. Interestingly enough, Warner remains staunchly against the same-sex marriage ban, having contributed $25,000 to the Commonwealth Coalition for that very issue.

JEFF ZIENTS Unlike most kids whose parents threw away their valuable Topps baseball card collections, Jeff Zients got rich in spite of it. His entrepreneurial savvy showed itself early on; rather than passively getting cards as a by-product of bubble gum, Zients would call dozens of garage sales each weekend to sleuth out the most valuable collections. It’s small wonder that while he turned his hand at building two innovative research and consulting firms (which went public in 1999 and 2001 with blockbuster offerings) his heart would return to America’s pasttime.

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s we stated at the outset (and despite our writers’, researchers’ and sources’ best efforts), compiling WL’s Wealth List is not an exact science. Like many of you, we wonder who may have slipped through the cracks, or what millionaires and billionaires may be flying under the radar.There are many people that make us wonder if their fortunes match their generous philanthropic contributions – Jim Abdo, Betty Brown Casey, Jack Davies, Miles Gilburne, Bob Kettler, Bill Melton, Rick Kay, Richard Hanlon, Marc Leland, Gilbert Mead, Albert Small, Evan Jones and George Vradenburg could have all been included on the list based on their philanthropic efforts. We welcome your comments and suggestions at lists@washingtonlife.com.

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F I N A N C I A L R O U N D TA B L E

Wealth Management in Washington WL sat down with four of the area’s premier financial minds to discuss the issues that weigh on the minds of local investors. From globalization to taxes to the real estate market, we cover all the bases.

MICHAEL N. HARRELD

is president of the greater Washington region of PNC Bank. Harreld is responsible for overseeing all aspects of PNC’s operations in greater Washington, including retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, wealth management and communitybased activities. He is also active in a variety of civic activities.

CURTIN WINSOR

is the co-founder and chairman of Bank of Georgetown. In addition, Mr. Winsor sits on the board of directors of several hedge funds and investment partnerships and is active in civic and charitable causes in the Washington, D.C. area.

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PAUL G. VEITH

is a managing director and senior client advisor for Rockefeller & Co., based in Washington, D.C. He has worked with high net worth individuals, wealthy families, and institutions for over 20 years.

He holds an A.B. in economics from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. in finance from George Mason University.

EDWARD J. MATHIAS

is a managing director of The Carlyle Group and graduated with an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He is also cochair of the President’s Circle at the National Gallery of Art.

ED MATHIAS: Let’s take a quick look at the local business climate.

CURTIN WINSOR: If you take it over the past 20 years, the ’90s were the time of technology and telecom, and more recently, it’s been the time of real estate and development. Some significant fortunes have been made over the past ten years with the real estate boom.

PAUL VEITH: This is a vibrant market with great opportunity; a lot of the growth has been fueled by the government contracting firms that have sprung up. We think the opportunity is terrific for straight investment management, as well as the broader wealth management services that we offer.

MICHAEL HARRELD: It’s a place where an enormous number of people made a lot of money in the real estate business in the last 50 years. But many of them are liquefying [property], either by sale or diversification. And as they do so, we find them interested in non-traditional investment

opportunities. They’re open to hedge funds, private equity funds, and to a far more creative approach than a traditional portfolio of stocks and bonds.

MATHIAS: Real estate is an important factor in the region and of great interest to our readers. Any thoughts?

WINSOR: In Washington you’re lending to the business of government.

And because of that we have an inherently stable market; not that it’s without its minor peaks and valleys.

Real estate is fairly fully valued now as compared to three years ago, and it’s going to remain steady for at least three or four years as inventory gets depleted and demand catches up.

MATHIAS: Have you seen an increased interest in those wanting to live in the District of Columbia?

WINSOR: Yes. The reason for that is there’s no political will to fix the transportation infrastructure for commuters. And after that, when you do get the political will, you’re going to have to get the money and

“YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO participate in international and emerging markets, but at times it’s not an easy sell with customers because of all the political risks we’ve talked about.”

– Michael Harreld

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then you’re going to have to build it. There’s little hope in sight. And I think that that bodes well for close-in property owners.

MATHIAS: We read a lot about weakness in the housing market. Are you seeing evidence of this?

WINSOR: Yes. It has tremendous upside, in the medium and long term, particularly close-in. There’s an exceptional amount of wealthy people who don’t want to suffer a commute and will pay a higher price for a good property located close-in.

MATHIAS: Do you think the upscale housing stock is sufficient given the growing availability of wealth?

WINSOR: No. But there are a lot of developers who have addressed this need very successfully. Anthony Lanier, for instance, has built high-end condominiums in the city and has sold them out before they’ve come out of the ground.The various Ritzes and Lanier’s projects are synonymous with addressing the need for a higher caliber of housing stock. There are a number of others who have really made their mark here in the city: Jim Abdo, Monument Realty and JBG, just to name a few.

MATHIAS: Today’s roundtable panel reflects the breadth of activity in our region. We have a community bank, a national investment manager, and a broad-based financial institution participating.

Tell me a little about your firm and your client base.

VEITH: I’m with Rockefeller & Company, Inc. We started off as the Rockefeller family office, but today the family represents less than a third of our client base. We are privately owned, independent and focused solely on wealth management.

Our approach is comprehensive, but in the investment area the one theme that runs throughout

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most of our internally managed equity portfolios is global equity.

The global theme done in-house is generally large cap. We also do U.S. small cap and high quality fixed-income in-house. We supplement our inhouse capabilities by providing clients access to leading/ specialized outside managers, including hedge fund managers and private equity firms.

We have approximately $8 billion in total assets under management as of April 30, 2007.

MATHIAS: And your minimum account size?

VEITH: We don’t have a standard minimum. If it’s the right fit, we could start with $5 million.

WINSOR: I’m chairman of Bank of Georgetown. We’re a small community bank, newly formed and privately owned. Our shareholders are all business leaders in the city.

There have been a number of small banks that have grown successfully in the suburbs, but with the renaissance of Washington, D.C., we see this as a very exciting opportunity. Our best customers are small to medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations that need a hands-on approach.

HARRELD: PNC Bank is commonly known as a super regional, meaning most of our banking activities are within the United States. But we’re an international player in some things – we’re one of the world’s largest processors and account managers of mutual funds.

Our investment management activities are about $80 billion if we don’t count our ownership in BlackRock [the global investment firm].

We offer services for individuals, institutions, foundations and ultra-

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high net worth people through our Hawthorn subsidiary.

For most commercial banks, investment management is another service they offer.

With us, it’s one of our major lines of business and one of our fastest growing as well.

MATHIAS: What are your clients’ primary concerns, in terms of their financial well-being, over the next three-to-five years?

VEITH: The geopolitical situation – what’s going on in Iraq and that part of the world. It’s not something they’re losing sleep over, but they know a blowup there is going to impact their portfolios, at least in the short run.

And there’s also a general concern that tax rates will be going up and how that is going to impact stock prices and their disposable income.

MATHIAS: Michael, you mentioned changing preferences on the part of investors. How have portfolios changed?

HARRELD: Ten years ago the average client’s portfolio would have been an asset mix that’s pretty traditional with a smattering of international.The democratization of the capital markets, where people with more modest net worth have access to much more of the potpourri of products out there, is changing that.

In addition, the excellent returns of recent years have been in international and global markets, but what Paul said is exactly right: there is an issue of political stability and the interconnectedness of the world.

MATHIAS: Looking out threeto-five years, what returns can an investor expect from a welldiversified portfolio?

VEITH: One way to go about it is to look at the expected returns for each asset class. If you start out with a pretty conservative 60/40 traditional equity, 40 percent municipal bond, or some type of fixed income, you are definitely in the single digit range for expected returns. For equities, just in the broad large cap indices, the

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VEITH: It’s been a long time approach within Rockefeller to invest globally. The bulk of our clients’ equity portfolios, at least for the clients that are managed internally, is to be in a global equity strategy. To not include non-U.S. securities as a big part of your portfolio really limits your opportunities.

HARRELD: You simply have to participate in international and emerging markets, but at times it’s not an easy sell with customers because of all the political risks we’ve talked about.

expected returns would be in the high single digits. Of course, there are no guarantees.

MATHIAS: So, eight percent or so annually over the next three-to-five years would be reasonable?

VEITH: Yes. HARRELD: I think it’s a question of what clients expect.

But that’s what we would expect.

MATHIAS: Do you see individuals taking all assets, including their homes, into account when assessing their financial position?

HARRELD: Dismissing the ultra wealthy, if we talk about a person with $5 million to invest, a $3 million home, and a couple of other assets, so they’ve got a net worth of $1015 million, which is a lot more of what we see daily, I think clients are pretty savvy about that. But they’re still counting on their house to cover them on inflation. They really believe that in this marketplace, even if it doesn’t go up 20 percent a year, their home will go up eight percent a year. I’d be cautious about that – it may not last forever even if it is built on the government.

WINSOR: People see their second homes as an investment. And while they’ve paid out handsomely until now, that is not a given going forward. It’s really more a function of the health of our economy.

MATHIAS: You can’t pick up any periodical or engage in cocktail party conversation without some mention of hedge funds and private equity vehicles. Any thoughts?

VEITH: With hedge funds we have

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concerns.

What’s not published is the number of hedge funds that close each year – it’s a very significant number. Also, hedge funds are usually tax inefficient and have high fees.You have to be very selective in this area.

MATHIAS: Do you expect returns for those vehicles to be as high as has recently been the case?

VEITH: No. MATHIAS: Are taxes a factor as you work with individual investors?

HARRELD: Absolutely. And clients take it into account. We just have to give them alternatives.

MATHIAS: Let’s talk a little about inflation. Curt, do you have an opinion?

WINSOR: When you’re looking at investment returns, you want to look at real rate of return, less the fee, less inflation. And then you have your rate of return.

Right now there’s no question that the risk-reward ratio is relatively high in comparison to the low rates of return that my colleagues here have mentioned, and I agree with them.

MATHIAS: Should investors today lean on the side of caution versus being aggressive?

WINSOR: It depends. But in general you’re going to have to assume more risk to get the higher rates of return that have been generated in the past.

HARRELD: Investors are willing to be aggressive in more nontraditional ways. As opposed to putting 50 percent in the international market, they’re going to look at private equity.

If they’re going to be aggressive, they want to deal with specialists that know what they’re doing.

MATHIAS: Globalization impacts us in numerous ways. What about international diversification?

MATHIAS: Two of the fastest growing economies in the world are China and India. Do you have ways in which your clients can participate in these dynamic markets?

HARRELD:We have asset managers who specialize in those markets.

VEITH:Yes. We have decided against direct China investments but through our global equity strategy we are investing indirectly into that market.

MATHIAS: Curt, the Chinese government has about a trillion dollars in foreign exchange and, to some extent, has become our “banker”. I assume you would like to garner some of their assets as deposits.

WINSOR: It depends on the rate!

We talked about inflation, and now that we’re in this global economy, our fiscal house is going to have to be kept in order as we’re accountable to people like the Chinese buying our debt.

MATHIAS: What are the biggest mistakes you now see investors making?

HARRELD: Investing backwards: looking at what happened three or four years ago and thinking that’s a

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benchmark for the future; and the difficulty in articulating a risk strategy and a financial plan.

VEITH: The mistake I’ve seen most frequently is investors trying to “time the market.” Even if you are right in selling, it’s even harder knowing when to reinvest.

MATHIAS: With wealth creation and the trend in demographics, philanthropy has become an increasingly important issue. How are your clients responding in this regard?

HARRELD: In the estate planning world, which is a primary focus of ours, we see a lot of conversation about philanthropy. In a recent wealth and values sur vey commissioned by PNC Wealth Management, we found that 29 percent of high net worth individuals in the Washington area have identified funds in their trusts or wills to go to specific charitable purposes – that’s well above the national average.

A lot of clients are very sensitive about what’s appropriate to leave to their children. There’s a lot more intelligent conversation going on between the generations than there was a few years ago surrounding the right balance between financial security and the stewardship of the inheritance. Respondents to the survey indicated they are concerned their children not be spoiled with sudden wealth in their inheritance.

The fact that Washingtonians are willing to give a significant portion of their estate to charity as well as their children speaks to this.

VEITH: That’s a big issue for our clients. Besides giving back, the other theme we see tied to philanthropy is family continuity. The fortune was created by granddad or grandma, but what keeps the family together? Philanthropic

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foundations or similar charitable vehicles can be the hub that the family continues to gather around and share a common interest in.

MATHIAS: Do alternative energy and the “green” movement present areas of investment opportunity?

VEITH: Yes, we provide qualified clients with an opportunity to invest in venture capital and private equity funds that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, conservation and related clean technologies.

MATHIAS: Do you see any areas of investment that seem particularly attractive over the next few years?

VEITH: It’s a difficult time to find real attractive opportunities. We don’t see one opportunity jumping at us that is really undervalued with a huge upside. One area that’s kind of boring

is attractive. Do you foresee changes in the offing?

WINSOR:Yes. VEITH: Yes. I think on both counts: dividend first, capital gains second.

MATHIAS: How is Washington evolving as a financial center?

WINSOR: Washington is becoming a mini-hub for the nontraditional lending community. There is a number of significant, publicly traded companies here, such as Allied Capital, Gladstone and MCG. It’s no coincidence that a number of super regionals have planted their stake here in a significant way because it’s a very lucrative banking market as well.

On the real estate finance side, we’re also seeing tremendous growth in the city. You’ve got JBG, Perseus and the Joe Robert Companies. Let’s also mention the

“WASHINGTON IS BECOMING a mini hub for the nontraditional lending community … it’s a very lucrative banking market as well.”

– Curtin Winsor that we think is most attractive is big multinational companies that are going to benefit from the continued globalization and whose valuations are still reasonable.

HARRELD: Everyone wants to participate in the global markets, but they’re anxious about the risk. And the risk is not about how someone is succeeding in one country. The risk is political, religious, multivariable. Investors know they need to be there, but they’re much more anxious about that than they are about the domestic economy.

MATHIAS:To individuals, today’s low tax rate on capital gains and dividends

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financial conglomerates like the Carlyle Group, which has been tremendously successful; Columbia Partners Investment Management; and Friedman, Billings, and Ramsey, who have created an important local focus and brought a lot of liquidity and attention to the region.

HARRELD: This community has attracted a lot more outside gray matter in the investment business in the last few years. There are a lot of people who have come here from New York and San Francisco who are doing boutiques – and they’re growing rapidly. They’re very smart, they’re very good, and they have their niche.

MATHIAS: Lastly, what advice would you provide to the client who suddenly finds themselves with a $20 million portfolio to invest?

VEITH: Each client is going to be different. And what’s right for one is not right for another. If this money is set aside for maximum long term results and they don’t need income, we’d say,“Go 100 percent in equities.”

And a big part of that would be global, with some put selectively into private equity and possibly some with good hedge fund managers. But in that situation, where the sole objective is maximizing return, we would steer more towards pure equities, whether they be publicly traded or private.

MATHIAS: What type of return might they expect?

VEITH:That depends on how much they had in private equity, and then, a lot of that is dependent on what’s out there and available.This is an asset class that you have to be invested with the top players.

HARRELD: Paul is exactly right, but if that person lived here, I’d find a way for them to participate in Washington real estate. That is going to do well over the next few years.

WINSOR: If one wants to maximize return, it’s necessary to concentrate a bit more money, say two-thirds, with good managers, and the other 30 percent focused in something more conservative like a low risk alternative investment type of vehicle.

MATHIAS: I want to thank each of you for participating in what has been a lively and highly informative discussion. Not to end on a negative note, but a point to re-emphasize, drawn from your comments, is that investment returns over the next few years will likely be somewhat lower than those to which investors have become accustomed. Just something to keep in mind as we look ahead.

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Renaud de Viel Castel, Kevin Chaffee and Philippe Cousteau

Brian MacDonnell, Jack Dulan and Cheryl Dulan with Susan and J. Scott Wilfong

The U.K. polo side on the charge

The U.S. team runs the boards

AMERICA’S CUP OF POLO May 12 • Morven Park Equestrian Center, Va. PHOTOS BY PAUL SIMKIN

THE EVENT Four hundred years a er a brave band of 104 British colonists crossed the Atlantic to se le in Virginia, the U.K. took the inaugural six chukker polo contest 7-3 from the U.S. – despite a Herculean effort by organizer Tareq Salahi, who scored for the Yanks at Morven Park’s just-completed polo pitch. THE SCENE Ladies donned exquisite hats, the men their best seersucker suits, and the champagne flowed in the posh Cartier (U.S. team) and Ritz-Cartlon (U.K. team) sponsor tents managed by event planners CSICapitol Services. Queen Elizabeth II received an invite, but a er her share of equestrian thrills at the Kentucky Derby, the Helen Mirren look-a-like je ed back to greener fields at Buckingham Palace, missing the chance to watch ’80s icons Journey members Neil Schon and Jeff Soto play live. THE GUESTS Afghan Amb. Salid T. Jawad and wife Shamim, Italian Amb. Giovanni Castellaneta and wife Lila, Jim Kimsey, Brian Maccdonnel and Sco Wilfong.

Jorge Adeler and Soledad Adeler Garcia Liza Tanner, Lauren Griswald and Alessandra Slowinsky

Quidad Talabani with his wife

The U.S. polo side

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David Pollin with his daughter

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Tareq in action

Michaele Salahi, Italian Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta with his wife Lila on stage with event organizer Tareq Salahi

THE SUPERBOWL OF POLO

BY TA R EQ SA L A H I

W

Molly and Casey Margenau

Maria and Ronald Zürcher

Guest in the Cartier tent

The U.K. team in between chukkers with Ritz Cartlon president and COO Simon Cooper

Two polo fans enjoy the day

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hen my wife Michaele and I began planning the America’s Cup of Polo three years ago, we set out to plan the Superbowl of Polo. It was huge undertaking, but given our penchant for party planning, we were up to it.We eventually found a home for the cup in fall 2006 at Morven Park – but the greater challenge was that the berms and the polo field weren’t complete.Through the greatest team work imaginable – and 20,000 truck loads of dirt – the Americas Polo Cup field and viewing berms came to be thanks to great partners and friends at Morven Park, Charlie Muldoon and Mike Skinner at Shifflet & Associates.

It took roughly six months to create the berms, but the behind-the-scenes planning took nearly three years. At the same time, we were busy securing a number of ninegoal Polo players – which is one the highest rankings a polo player can have. I captained the U.S. team, which eventually lost in a hard fought and entertaining match. However, I’m sure if I had been spending more time in the saddle practicing instead of on the phone organizing, the score would have favored the U.S. team. I’m sure the British captian, Debbie Nash would agree, right Debbie?

The day wasn’t about competition. It was about celebrating America’s diversity, and giving polo fans, fashion lovers and top polo supporters from around the world a chance to enjoy a perfect day in the Virginia countryside while supporting the Journey for the Cure Foundation. Italian Ambassador Castellaneta Giovanni has already told me to prepare for a tough Italian team to challenge the U.S. next May. We’ll be ready!

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Mystique Jewelers

David Ravandi and Otto W. Horning III

U.K. Polo team members Howard Hipwood, Debbie Nash, Max Secunda and Jeff Davis

AMERICA’S CUP OF POLO RECEPTION

Tareq and Michaele Salahi

May 11 • Morven Park Equestrian Center PHOTOS BY NOEL RYAN

THE EVENT The night before the big game, cup sponsors and organizers gathered for a country black-tie reception celebrating the culmination of three years of hard work.

Representatives from Cartier, Ritz-Carlton, Booz Allen Hamilton, Suntrust, nearby Landsdowne Resorts and the Virginia Wine, Travel and Tourism Office, among others took the spotlight with Journey band members and an energetic pack of Piedmont foxhounds.

Piedmont foxhounds with huntsman Richard Roberts

Antoinette Wysocki and Brooke Falk

Sean Quarmby and Lani Miller

Journey’s Neil Schon and Jeff Soto

Celissa and Paul Kunder

Jennifer Burkhart and Jack Landon

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Sheila Johnson conducting

Jim and Margaret Fitzpatrick

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Cynthia Benitez McClory, Caroline Helmly and Jack Helmly

Dr. Fady Sharara, Raola Sharara, Iman AlThani and Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al-Thani

Michaele Salahi

CARTIER RECEPTION FOR AMERICA’S CUP OF POLO April 26 • Cartier Chevy Chase PHOTOS BY EDGAR BECERRA

THE EVENT America’s Cup co-chairs Tareq and Michaele Shalahi along with America’s Cup director of polo Charles Muldoon co-hosted a gli ering kick-off for the event at the Chevy Chase home of renowned jeweler Cartier, the sponsor of the U.S. Team.

Fariba Jahanbani, Charles Muldoon and Debbie Nash

Judie Cochiolo and Susan McFairlin

THE RIDE OF MY LIFE

BY DEBBIE NASH

T

areq and Michaele Salahi invited me to play on the British Polo team while we were at a Journey concert in Nottingham, England in February. They were promoting

Polo convert Debbie Nash

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the Americas cup of Polo there. I had gone to visit my mother and was on my way to see a friend in Spain. Playing in the game seemed like the obvious thing to do, especially as I now live just outside Warrenton, Virginia.

I was born in Stratford upon Avon, England and started playing polo after going to an event similar to the America’s Cup of Polo in 1995. After seeing the game I took polo lessons and was immediately hooked. Polo has since taken over my life.

I now play in the summer in the Virginia area and spend my winter holidays in places such as Argentina, Chile, Dubai, Jamaica, Spain,

Uruguay, Columbia and Florida playing in tournaments. I am on the board of both Great Meadow Polo club and former Redskin George Starke’s Excel, a Washington based charity; and a social committee member of the British American Business Association.

The whole week of the America’s Cup of Polo was a whirl for me. It started with HM Queen Elizabeth’s Garden party, then cocktail evenings with sponsors such as Ritz-Carlton and Cartier. A Multiple Sclerosis Society Gala at Morven Park, plus doing interviews with several TV stations local newspapers and magazines. But the best part of it is the people I have met on the journey. It seemed like everyone knew about the polo match at Morvern Park – and if they didn’t, they wanted a ticket.What a terrific day thanks to all the sponsors and supporters.What a game polo is and we won! Then, it was time to put my hat on and drink Champagne on the sidelines.

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TWILIGHT POLO CHIC: Blue linen sport coat by HUGO BOSS ($495). Navy linen trousers by ELIE TAHARI ($228). Pink striped shirt by DOLCE & GABBANA ($325).

Pink dress by ELIE TAHARI ($498). All available at Saks Fifth Avenue, 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202-363-2059 and Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va 703-761-0700; Trinity Ring, white/rose/yellow gold, by CARTIER ($8,950). Cartier, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 301654-5858. Zebra champagne clutch by JIMMY CHOO ($530). Jimmy Choo, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 5481 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 240-223-1102

NIGHTSHINE ALICE AND OLIVIA white and silver sequined mini dress, $396, Neiman LIFE OF RILEY: Short sleeved cotton crewneck polo, black/chic cream by POLO BY RALPH LAUREN ($69.50). Ralph Lauren, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 1245 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 202- 965-0905. Roadster watch, stainless steel/yellow gold by CARTIER ($11,300). Cartier, the Collections at Chevy Chase, 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 301-654-5858. Commander sunglasses by OLIVER PEOPLES ($428). Available at Blink, 3029 M Street NW, 202- 625-5351. Blue Label cream short sleeved collared blue flower Audra dress by RALPH LAUREN ($398). Ralph Lauren, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 1245 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 202-965-0905. White hat by HORSE COUNTRY LTD. ($150). Visit www.horsecountrylife.com. Open Love bracelet, white gold by CARTIER ($2,725). Cartier, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 301-654-5858. 1950 Riley RMD convertible (appx. $50,000).

JOCKEYING: Blue dress by T-BAG ($202). Available at Urban Chic, 1626 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202-338-5398.

Hat with pink & blue band by HORSE COUNTRY LTD. ($165). Visit www.horsecountrylife.com. Black Label white linen wrap dress, by RALPH LAUREN ($898). Ralph Lauren, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 1245 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 202-965-0905. Blue hat with teal beads by HORSE COUNTRY LTD. ($115).

Turquoise vintage earrings, stylist owned.

EASY RIDER: Seersucker light blue blazer by CANALI ($995). Blue linen trousers by INCOTEX ($275). Both available at Saks Fifth Avenue, 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202-363-2059 and Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va 703761-0700. Blue striped dress shirt with contrast collar ($145), brown leather belt ($85). Both by POLO BY RALPH LAUREN. Ralph Lauren, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 1245 Wisconsin Avenue, 202-965-0905.

GOING PLATINUM STELLA MCCARTNEY platinum gossamer lame shirt, $728; GUISEPPE ZANOTTI rhinestone studded silver and bronze flats, $595 each. All Neiman Marcus; DINA MACKNY DESIGNS silver and stone necklace, $330, Saks Jandel; MAX MARA crystal studded belt, $430, Max Mara; BULGARI silver and gold clutch, $500, Bulgari.

WINE COUNTRY: Multi-color dress by MILLY ($439). Available at Urban Chic, 1626 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202-338-5398. Brown hat with white flowers by HORSE COUNTRY LTD. ($395). Visit www.horsecountrylife.com. Earrings by STEPHEN DWECK ($255).

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202363-2059 and Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va 703-761-0700. RUINART CHAMPAGNE ($65). Visit www.ruinart. com for more details. Tailgate catering and flowers by MARRIOTT RANCH. Visit www.marriottranch.com for more information.

HAT TRICK: Dress by VALENTINO ($1,095). Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202-363-2059. Black & white hat by HORSE COUNTRY LTD. ($425). Visit www.horsecountrylife. com. Love hoop earrings, yellow gold ($2,475), Demoiselle watch, yellow gold/diamonds ($32,000), both by CARTIER. Cartier, the Collections at Chevy Chase, 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland 301-654-5858.

TREND REPORT

Bold & Brillant

DDCLAB

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

ISAAC MIZRAHI

Ç Tote by TORY BURCH ($95). Visit www.toryburch.com.

Yellow Greta Clutch by BE&D ($595). Available at Cusp, 3030 M Street NW, 202-625-0893.

ANDREW GN

Ç Ernesta Raspberry Pump by CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN ($640).

Available at Cusp, 3030 M Street NW, 202-625-0893.

H

eat up this summer with a burst of color from the likes of Diane von Furstenberg, Pucci, Isaac Mizrahi and Prada.

Mix and match vibrant hues head to toe, or add just a pop with a flashy accessory.

Whatever pigment you decide to add to your summer palette, keep it bright.

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Å Aubrey ballet flat by TORY BURCH ($225). Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, 5300

Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202-363-2059 and Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Virginia WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Poetic & Pastel

LUCA LUCA

LOUIS VUITTON

ISAAC MIZRAHI

B

luemarine, Carolina Herrera. Luca Luca and Louis Vuitton blossomed this Spring with lovely, lady-like collections. Pair with your favorite pastel for a fun and flirty look; add a touch of romance with a poetic print; or create a whiff of nostalgia with a dainty accessory.

REBECCA TAYLOR

Ç Pink Urwald necklace

by BETTINA STARK ($270).

Available at Keith Lippert Gallery 2922 M Street NW, 202-965-9736.

Floral headbands by LOUIS VUITTON ($385 each). Louis Vuitton, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 5481C1 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 301-654-1101.

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Å Orchard bracelet, 18K gold, blue sapphire, tsavorite, and diamond by ALEX SEPKUS ($13,700). Available at Tiny Jewel Box, 1147 Connecticut Avenue NW, 202-393-2747.

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TREND REPORT

Clever & Contrast

TRACY REESE

RALPH LAUREN

DDCLAB

ANNA SUI Matte Patent Ricky Handbag

by RALPH LAUREN ($3,000).

Ralph Lauren, the Collection at Chevy Chase, 1245 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 202-965-0905.

} Polka dot dress by LACEY PARKER ($298).

Available at Intermix, the Shops at Georgetown Park, 3222 M Street NW, 202-298-8080.

Soho hobo handbag by COACH ($298). Coach, 3259 M Street NW, 202-333-3005.

B

B Mark stretch cotton pant ($299), and Nana cotton jacket ($298), both by THEORY. Available at Intermix, the Shops at Georgetown Park, 3222 M Street NW, 202-298-8080.

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lack and white combinations are making a strong showing this spring, particularly in collections from Biba, DDCLab, Anna Sui, Chanel and Ralph Lauren. Construct a look with slim black pants and cinchedwaist jacket; add sleek white patent leather accessories; or display some attitude with a bold graphic print.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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John and Ginger Laytham

Howard Barshaw and Stephany Pierce

Michael Kors, John Idol and Jackie Duberstein

FASHION & STYLE

PORTFOLIO IN MOTION 2007 April 28 • Rose Benté Lee Center, Marymount University PHOTOS BY PAUL SIMKIN

Lucia Boone and Maggie Shannon

Joanne Bauers and Savanna Clark

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THE EVENT Marymount University’s Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising program hit the runway for the 17th annual Portfolio in Motion fashion show – the penultimate academic project for graduates.

Every aspect, including jury-selected student designs, talent casting and show production, reflects the students’ academic and creative efforts. If that wasn’t stressful enough, fashion icon Michael Kors and business leader Sheila Johnson were on hand to critique their work. The catwalk showcase was the crown jewel in a weekend-long fashion fest that included a Friday luncheon where Kors received the Designer of the Year Award. THE SCENE 600 style-philes, co-eds, friends and family members scouted for the “next big thing.” THE GUESTS LuAnn Benne , Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, Jackie Duberstein, Michael Kors CEO John Idol and Communications Director Billy Daley.

Morgan McLoud, Sheila Johnson and Stacey Meadows

Matymount President James Bundschuh and Marlene Malek

Lexie and Debra Overholt

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Michael Kors and Ginger Laytham critique student designs

FRIENDS BY DESIGN B Y J A C K I E D U B E R S T E I N

M

Portfolio in Motion is the final graduation project for Marymounts fashion students.

They choose the talent, design the fashion and produce the runway show.

ichael spotted me one night in the lobby of the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach wearing one of his outfits. I was looking for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and his wife Calista, with whom my husband Ken Duberstein and I were having dinner.

Instead of Newt, Michael tapped me on the shoulder, introduced himself and said he loved the way I looked. Clearly, we were both very pleased. He loves to see his clothes being worn and I loved the compliment from this great designer.

This chance meeting lead to clothes and close friendship. I can now count on Michael to select pieces from his collections that he knows will not only make me look good but be appropriate for my lifestyle. I must admit sometimes he picks things that I have not tried on and have only seen in a look book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and I quietly think he has lost his mind.

Needless to say, when the clothes arrive, they are divine. Simply put, Michael Kors gets me just as he get all the ladies he dresses. He loves making the world a more chic place.

Jackie Duberstein, Washington producer of MaModels in Escada the Charlie Rose Show. wearing Michael Kors at the Kuwait Embassy Residence, May 2007.

Photograph by Vicky Pombo

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FA S H I O N &

STYLE

Kore Values Portfolio in Motion chair and Marymount University fashion design graduate, Ginger Laytham and Michael Kors on getting started in fashion ... and Steve McQueen

GINGER LAYTHAM: What initially sparked

your passion for fashion?

MICHAEL KORS I’ve got a family of fashionobsessed people. My grandfather was in the textile business, and my grandmother was definitely the best-dressed high school principal ever, my mother modeled, my uncle was in the fashion industry – it was the conversation I heard at the dinner table. Plus, shopping around with my mom as an only child was an advantage.

GL: What did you want to do when you were little?

MK I always drew, I always sketched. I went through a period when I thought I wanted to be an architect, then realized you had to be proficient in math, and that was not going to be good for me. I went through a period where I even thought I would design cars, but I realized that wasn’t going to happen.Then, I took acting classes when I was a teenager. I love the theater, but fashion won out.

GL How did you get your start?

MK I worked in a retail store called Lothar’s,

selling clothes and working full time. I left school because Lothar’s offered me a job at 19 designing clothing. I did that until I was 21 and then I thought “Hey, I’ll give it a stab, and do my own thing, and at 21 I put together a little collection and took it to Berdorff ’s, and as they say, ‘the rest is history.’”

GL What have been the most profound

influences on your style?

MK A combination of things. I’m very much

influenced by pop culture in general; paparazzi pictures, movies, theater, music ... My style is kind of half way between my mother and my

98

grandmother. And then designers I looked up to when I was growing up, people like Halston, who I think really had American fashion and American Style.

GL Do you have a muse for your work?

MK I have a few muses.

There are always people who will turn me on from a style perspective.

Jackie Kennedy will always be to me the pinnacle of American style. Allie McGraw, Lauren Hutton.

GingerLaythem and designer Michael Steve McQueen Kors during the Portfolio in Motion would be my guy of weekend. Photograph by Paul Smkin all times. And there’s always the new answer to them. Is today’s George Clooney the next Steve GL: What about the controversy over McQueen? excessively thin models?

MK: It’s ridiculous. A good amount of the GL What about the different approaches models are very young. It’s about health, not to fashion in Europe and United States? thinness. I mean I was pretty skinny when I was MK: There is a different approach between the United States and Europe, but it’s slowly 15 myself. If we see a model who’s unhealthy disappearing. The difference by nature is that looking, I don’t care if she’s 16 or 26, I don’t American fashion is about the person. America want to see her on the runway. But clothes in invented the idea of comfort, the idea of mobility, general, as we all know when we’re trying out easiness. You know, we invented jeans! We a new diet, seem to look better when we’re invented t-shirts! Europe is about fashion as art, as feeling a little thinner. It’s just a reality of life. creation, which can sometimes be overwhelming It’s important to make sure that the models take in real life.Today the best fashion that comes out care of themselves, that they’re healthy. And if of Europe and the States is a combination of the they’re young, that someone there can help them through the whole quagmire of fashion. two. There’s creativity and there’s practicality.

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Pop Rocks Worldly gifts for the world’s best dad Leather holdall by BURBERRY ($2095).

Burberry, 1155 Connecticut Ave. N.W., 202-463-3000.

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by HUGO BOSS ($195). Hugo Boss 1517 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202- 625-2677.

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Å Italian silk ties by CLUB MONACO ($59). Club Monaco 3235 M Street NW, 202-965-2118.

Å Briefcase by SALVATORE FERRAGAMO ($1,250). Salvatore Ferragamo, Tysons Galleria, 2001 International Drive, McLean, Virginia, 703-827-7700.

Distinctive Desk Sets by DISTINCTIVE BOOKBINDING & LEATHER DESIGNS ($750$2,500). Distinctive Bookbinding & Leather Designs, 1755 S Street NW, 202-466-4866.

Cufflinks by VERA BRADLEY ($31.50). Available at Mystique Jewelers, 100 East Washington Street, Middleburg, Virginia, 540-6878707 and 211 The Strand, Alexandria, Virginia, 703-836-1401.

Club Chair and Ottoman by WILLEM SMITH CABALLERO ($3,600 and $1,200). On display at the Washington Design Center, 300 D Street NW. Contact Barbara Martin at The Patton Group, 301-512-5078.

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A R T AT A U C T I O N

The Pearls of India

The Baroda Pearls shatter the world auction record for a natural jewel

BY RENEE HARRISON DRAKE

T

he proliferation of wealth currently being amassed by hedge fund managers has resulted in a display of opulent living that harkens back to the days of the wealthy industrialists at the turn of the century. But even before the robber barons or, more recently, the Internet millionaires and hedge fund managers of today, the Maharajas of India’s royal families had untold wealth and riches. Most notably, the Maharajas of Baroda were known to have wealth of mythical proportions that included legendary jewels.

The desire of the Maharajas to acquire flawless pearls for their crown jewels seemed limitless. In the 19th century, one such collector was Khande Rao Gaekwar, the Maharaja of Baroda, whose collection of state jewels was unsurpassed at that time. This famed necklace, referred to as the Baroda Pearls, came to be a prized possession of the royal family.

It was considered to be one of the most important pieces in their collection and its luminous pearls, originally designed to include seven strands, represented the wealth and power of the Gaekwars.

Many decades later, in 1943, the Baroda Maharaja Pratapsingh Rao (r.1939-1947) made headlines when he left his wife to marry a 26year-old woman who was married to another man. Sita Devi, the new Maharani, had converted

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to Islam and then back again to Hindu in order to marry the Maharaja, and she became known by the media as the “Indian Wallis Simpson.” She went on to become one of the most flamboyant Maharanis in history and was known for her lavish taste, strong personality and passion for jewelry.

When she married the Maharaja she received many jewels from the Baroda Royal Treasury dating back to the Mughal times including the Baroda Pearls. It is unclear as to when the necklace was refashioned into the two-strand necklace that we know today, but what is known is that the Maharani Sita Devi wore the full seven-strand necklace in 1947, so the necklace was

BARODA PEARLS – BY THE NUMBERS

• 7 to 7.5-mmtrs – average size of a pearl. Baroda Pearls average 9.47 to 16.04-mmtrs.

• 2 to 3 years – average time for a pearl to develop. It took 6 to 10 for the Baroda Pearls.

• $5,000 – average cost of a pearl necklace. The Baroda necklace cost $7,096,000.

• 68 – the number of gumball-sized pearls which make up the necklace.

Baroda Pearls were known to have remained as part of the Baroda Royal Treasury. In 1971, Indira Ghandi abolished the titles and privileges of Indian princes and many of the Indian royals moved to Europe. There is no way of knowing which jewels from the Baroda Royal Treasury were sold privately when the era of the Maharajas finally came to an end; however, the Baroda Pearls mysteriously surfaced early this year when it was announced that an anonymous seller decided to offer them in Christie’s April 25th auction of necklace of such exceptional quality Magnificent Jewelry.

The pearls that make up the and provenance will never again be two strands are documented as seen on the open market.” being selected from the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rows of the original seven-strand necklace.

All sixty-eight radiating pearls measuring from approximately 9.47 to 16.04 mm were impeccably matched in color, luster, size and shape and were joined by an exquisite cushion-cut The Baroda Pearls necklace diamond clasp mounted by Cartier.

A pearl necklace of such exceptional quality and provenance will likely never again reconfigured some time after that date. be seen on the open market. The history of Sita Devi left India and moved to Europe this necklace involves many mysteries. For one, where she eventually divorced the Maharaja. who is the Asian collector who acquired the Many of the exquisite jewels that she had been necklace in the Christie’s sale? Keep a look given by the Maharaja were sold; however, the out, Washingtonians!

| washingtonlife.com

“A PEARL

103

WASHINGTON

PHOTO BY

S O C I A L D I A R Y

Sheryl Crow and Laurie David caused a stir at the Washington Hilton on April 21 at the annual White House Correspondentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association Dinner.

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M E D I A SPOTLIGHT

Media WL goes inside the White House Correspondents’ teren, Michael John Cole, Greta Van Sus Bender at Tammy Feldman and Laurence

by Vicky Pombo Haddad’s brunch. Photo

Larry Hackett and Rita Cosby at the People magazine party. Photo courtesy of People magazine

P

ower changed hands in Washington on April 20th even though elections were nineteen months away. Appointed party brokers Sandra Sobieraj Westfell, Tammy Haddad, Judith Czelusniak, Christopher Hitchens and John and Cristina McLaughlin controlled “the lists” for pre and after parties for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner weekend. If your name wasn’t on them, the art of pretending was a good skill to have.

The Pregame

The triple day party marathon kicked in at the People magazine bash on Friday night at Indebleu’s Tanatra Lounge hosted by managing editor Larry Hackett and Washington correspondent Sandra Sobieraj Westfall. The most overheard phrase of the night? “Hey, isn’t that … ?”That, of

106

Hilary Rosen, Harold Ford Jr. and Chris Matthews at Tammy Haddad’s brunch. Photo by Vicky Pombo Tiki Barber at the Bloom berg Media afterparty. Photo by Jaime Windon

course, included comedian Rich Little, warming up for his Saturday night dinner gig by engaging TV personality Rita Cosby, who was engaging Project Runway’s Tim Gunn, who was engaging former FBI director Louis Freeh, who was …

You get the picture: it was an engaging party.

Guests left with a significant goody bag, hoping the new charity tax laws won’t soon kick in.

The casting call resumed twelve hours later at the home of MSNBC’s Tammy Haddad for her annual brunch, co-hosted by husband Ted Greenberg, David Adler, Hilary Rosen, Beth Viola, Loretta Ucelli, Alex Castellanos and Kathryn Lehman. The reality show began at noon, starring Greta van Susteren, Miss America Lauren Nelson, Howie Kurtz, Chris Matthews, Arianna Huffington, and novelist Warren Adler of War of the Roses fame. Missing

in action? No one we could think of. Even mini “listers” accompanied their parents, including the two David’s, Corn and Gregory. Party downside: The hefty lawn bill that surely followed and those still looking for their cars.

The No-Doze crowd shuffled into the Hilton around 6 p.m., killing time between the National Journal (outside upstairs) and Newsweek (downstairs) pre-parties, the annual “look who’s here” events. Still starring Henry Kissinger but sharing the spotlight were Jane Fonda, David Geffen, Lally Weymouth, Rep. Henry Waxman, Paul Wolfowitz and presidential maybe Fred Thompson.

The Main Event

Dinner entertainment was billed as impressionist Rich Little, but the best

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Crush

B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N

Dinner weekend’s hottest parties

Arianna Huffington on the WHCD red carpet.

Photo by Justin Kriel

dia afterparty The Bloomberg Me on ind W e im Ja Photo by

Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Gayle King . on the WHCD red carpet Photo by Justin Kriel

Petra Nemcova at the Bloomberg Media afterparty.

Photo by Jaime Windon

entertainment took place off stage in a heated exchange between presidential advisor Karl Rove and “Inconvenient Truth” producer Laurie David over global warming. The buzz traveled faster than DSL and stole the show. Little introduced himself as a “nightclub performer who does a lot of dumb, stupid jokes.” Right on! “We comedians don’t have malpractice insurance,” Mark Russell offered. “He was in a tough spot. It’s exactly what happened to me with President Reagan back in the ’80s. A lot of people were killed that week. He said, ‘This is no time to be funny, here’s Mark Russell.’”

Most ridiculous scene of the night? Ousted American Idol hopeful Sanjaya surrounded by bodyguards, publicists and autograph hounds. “It’s always kind of interesting to watch how people really spend so much time clamoring to get the attention of these ‘celebrities’ who we won’t even

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recognize a year from now,” said ABC Radio’s Chris Berry. “Unless you’re a Kennedy, by the way, big hair and big teeth don’t work.” The Washington Post’s Amy Argetsinger had this to say: “In a couple of years we’re going to look back upon this as the last great White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The whole thing is going to implode under its own weight.”

After Dinner Entertainment

Guests bolted to the Bloomberg after party at the Embassy of Costa Rica, where namesake Michael held court. The opulent surroundings sucked in Petra Nemcova, presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, Kerry Washington, Al Hunt, Joe Scarborough, Valerie Bertinelli, Michelle Kwan, Andrea Mitchell and Bill Paxton.

(They all played in colored lights, drank colored drinks and went home in white slippers.)

“Bloomberg made me who I am right now,” said Media Bistro’s Patrick Gavin (tongue in cheek). “Bathrobes and tubs, this is who I am. I want to thank the Bloomberg Empire for that.

A lot of people spend a lot of money on self help books and therapy and all I needed was a good Bloomberg after party.” On the essence of temporary power, Bloomberg event organizer Judith Czelusniak remarked: “There’s no time for reveling in the pre-party attention. At 3 a.m.

I pick up a cocktail for the first time all night and think, ‘yep, we did it again.’”

To friends of Christopher Hitchens: “Not my invitation list, only my apartment.”

Translation: come at you own peril. Vanity Fair’s bash resurfaced at his Kalorama residence boasting a clubby, chummy atmosphere that delivered Supreme Court Justice Antonin

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M E D I A SPOTLIGHT

HEALING WITH HUMOR B Y S T E V E S C U L L Y PRESIDENT OF THE WHCA

L

ess than a week before the Annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, the television screen had the “breaking news.” Initial reports indicated there was a shooting on the Virginia Tech campus. As the story unfolded, the reality of the tragedy set in.

As president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, I was thinking about something that appeared inconsequential in light of these developments: do we proceed with our 93rd annual dinner? And if so, how do we strike the right tone? The answer came in a call from White House counselor Dan Bartlett, who said the president would attend the dinner, but skip any political humor.

He did, however, endorse the idea that as a country we will need to move on, and humor is often the best remedy. So David Letterman provided a hilarious “Top Ten” list of the president’s funniest moments from the past year. Impersonator Rich Little chronicled everyone from Andy Rooney to Johnny Carson, to Bill Clinton. But “the moment” that night came when Amie Steele, editor of The Collegiate Times of Virginia Tech, accepted a $5,000 check on behalf of our association to support her student-run newspaper, and proceeded to ask half the ballroom to chant “We are” and the other half “Hokies.”

The White House Correspondents Association works throughout the year to fight for the access, information and tools we need to do our job. On one evening in April, we put aside our editorial and political differences for a night of collegiality, while also raising money for the WHCA scholarship program.

As Steele left the dais, she turned to me and said, “Thank you for the opportunity.”

But rather, I thanked her. If she represents the next generation of journalists, we are in very good hands.

108

anor Clift John McLaughlin and Ele

Margaret Georgette Mosbacher, ton Den es Jam Carlson and

Scalia (good news for smokers); Jerry Brown and wife Anne Gust; Jay Carney and Claire Shipman; co-hosts Dee Dee Myers and Todd Purdum; and another 150 chosen few. Having fun yet? The after party yes, the dinner no, reported Hitchens in The Huffington Post. When notified that The New York Times was pulling out of next year’s dinner he replied: “I’m upset.” Lost in translation? He wanted VF to be the first to pull out. Washingtonian’s Garrett Grath’s take on the NY Times pull out: “They waited in line too long for the Bloomberg party and felt like jilted lovers.”

The Hangover

“Bloody Mary please” was the phrase most overheard at John and Cristina McLaughlin’s annual brunch on the roof top of the Hay Adams

Leslie Bradshaw

Phillip Bloch

Hotel. Michael Chertoff made the rounds with the seersucker Bellini crowd; Giancarlo Esposito invigorated the guests and Chris Wallace insisted he went to bed at 8 p.m. the night before. The beauty beat was filled by Georgette Mosbacher, Morgan Fairchild, Rita Cosby and Patricia Duff, while Patrick Buchannan and Tony Blankley kept the political thing going alongside Eleanor Clift and Clarence Page. Topics of the day: Sanjaya, Sanjaya, Sanjaya with casual mention of a military exit from Iraq. But the biggest topic? Facebook.

Huh? It’s where you post your face, profile and photos online to communicate. “This is one of the most significant cultural changes out there.

But I don’t want everyone knowing my business,” Debbie Dingell said. “They even talk about who they slept with the night before. Someday they will live to regret it.” WRONG! BYE-BYE!

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Robert Bennett, Morgan Fairchild and Wyatt Dickerson

Ben Bradlee and Jonathan Capehart

BRUNCH WITH JOHN MCLAUGHLIN

WASHINGTON GOES HOLLYWOOD

Caroline Graham, Frank Gannon

Catherine B Y B I L L and PR E S S Crier H O S T O F S I R I U S R A D I O ’ S “ T H E B I L L P R E S S S H O W ” A N D TRIBUNE MEDIA COLUMNIST

April 22 • The Roo op of the Hay Adams Hotel PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

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Jerry Brown and Anne Gu st

Tony Blankley, Jim Nicholson and Robert Hormats

Jackie Kucinich and Ed Hen

ry

Edie Emery and Chris Ber

Marcia Jackson, Giancarlo Esposito, Kerry HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Washington and Debbie Dingell

ry

t’s no secret that all Washington big-shots are merely wanna-be movie stars. Or, as John McCain famously says, “Politics is show biz for ugly people.” But the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is the closest any of us ever get to Tinseltown. It’s a whole weekend of stars and glitter.

As with the Oscars, the parties before and after are much more fun than the main event. Once again, Tammy Haddad’s Garden Brunch on Saturday afternoon featured the best mix of media and politics, liberal and conservative, this town has ever seen.

Immediately before dinner, Atlantic Monthly gathered the biggest names poolside. Where else could you chat up Mitt Romney and Martin O’Malley at the same time?

After-dinner, a lot of people are willing to sell their soul for an invitation to the Bloomberg party. Forget it. It stopped being fun several years ago: too crowded, too pretentious.The place to be this year was Vanity Fair’s soiree, thrown by Christopher Hitchens and DeeDee Myers at Hitchens’s nearby pad.

Imagine: a party where you could move around and actually talk to people – Fred Thompson, Steny Hoyer, Jerry Brown, Paul Wolfowitz, Antonin Scalia – and even smoke!

Sunday morning, the best way to nurse what by now is a massive hangover is to knock back a Bloody Mary with Al Sharpton and Queen Noor on the roof of the HayAdams with John and Cristina McLaughlin.

As for the dinner itself? Please! The worst.

When the biggest celebrity Washington can draw is Sanjaya …We still have a long way to go to catch up with Hollywood. But we can dream, can’t we?

Hooray for Hollywood!

M E D I A SPOTLIGHT

THREE AND OUT B Y J O H N R O B E R T S CN N “AM ERICAN MORNING” CO-ANCHOR

Cristina and John McLaughlin

Henry Kissinger and Greta Van Susteren

T

hree years ago, I campaigned to be president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. I ran on a platform of bringing the association’s annual fete célèbre back in line with what it used to be—an intimate evening where journalists and Administration officials could, like warring parties occasionally did in centuries past, sit together in a civil fashion over dinner and a few drinks.

It must have been a bad idea, because I lost that election; but I have faithfully attended each dinner since. I still can’t figure out how it became the star-studded affair it has, but it was awfully good to see Sanjaya this year.

It’s not all about celebutantes, though.

George Clooney came last year, and we all know about the good work he’s doing for Darfur.This year’s highlight was meeting Sheryl Crow, the Marcia Brady for middle-age men.

Sheryl’s also a rebel with a cause. In this case, global warming.Who doesn’t like Sheryl Crow?

Karl Rove, it seems. Not two tables over, the two were consumed in conversation that could have finished melting the Kilamanjaro snows.

When the fracas was over, I not-so-casually hot-footed it to the CNN table where Sheryl was commiserating with her fellow earthmother Laurie David. I strategically bumped my colleague Wolf Blitzer aside and found myself next to the rock goddess, of whom I am truly a fan. (Don’t worry, my wife knows all about this.) Three words into the conversation, the Post’s Roxanne Roberts nosed in between us to fact-check Sheryl’s encounter with Karl.

Ten minutes later, Roxanne had her story, Sheryl was out of time and I was out of luck.

The dinner is still a great place to make connections, and while the event is still too large and packed with celebrities who have nothing to do with covering the White House, it’s good to meet the odd rebel with a cause. If only for three words.

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Pam Brown, Michael Allen, David McCormick, Dina Habib Powell, Betsy Fischer and Phillipe Reines

Robert Kennedy Jr.

Morgan Fairchild

Soledad O’Brien and Gayle King

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

Shawn and Larry King

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Rupert Murdoch, Lally Weymouth and David Geffen

Rudy Giuliani

NEWSWEEK AND NATIONAL JOURNAL PARTIES April 21 • The Hilton PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Steve Forbes

Kiran Chetry and Jamie McIntyre

Rich Little and Jane Fonda Joe Scarborough

Reggie Bush

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Sanjaya Malakar and Valerie Bertinelli

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Diana Taylor and Michael Bloomberg

Francine McMahon and Sen. Jack Reed

Larry David and Rich Stengel

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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y

| First Lady LAURA BUSH welcomes AKIE ABE, wife of Japanese Prime Minister to the Mt. Vernon gardens for lunch on April 26. Photos by Kyle Samperton

Å ABOVE: Long-time friends

TERESA HEINZ KERRY and JILL KARGMAN catch up at Kargman’s book release party. RIGHT: JEFF KESSLER and BROOKE LIVINGSTON, managers of Ralph Lauren Chevy Chase, welcomed ladies for the release of Momzilla.

Photos by Tony Powell

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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y

| LEFT : SANDRA ALEXANDER, GAIL

SERFATY and DENISE ALEXANDER at the Department of State’s reception for donors to its Diplomatic Reception Rooms on April 20. BELOW: Secretary of State CONDOLEEZZA RICE welcomes donors at the Department of State. Photos by Zaid Hamid

Å ABOVE: The Birchrmere Opera hosted soprano PATRICIA RACETTE, who performed a creative mix of standards and Broadway on April 17.

RIGHT: Kuwaiti Amb. SALEM ALSABAH, MERYL CHERTOFF, MICHAEL SONNENREICH and Secretary of Homeland Security MICHAEL CHERTOFF. Photos by Paul Simkin

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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y

Å ABOVE: KARINA HURTADO CATERINA MURINO and MARCI

HURTADO at Omega Watches & Liljenquist & Beckstead’s recreation of the Casino Royale tournament from the new James Bond movie. All buy ins and donations went to St. Judes Childrens Hospital. They raised $38,000.

TOP: BERNADETTE ODOMS, CATERINA MURINO (a Bond Girl), GREGORY SWIFT, MELISSA CURRO and KIWAN ANDERSON get lucky at the tables.

} RIGHT: MaxMara’s fall 2007 evening line. TOP RIGHT: YASMINE KARABASSIS helps host a first look preview of MaxMara’s new collection at their store in Chevy Chase on April 12.

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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y

Doug Eby and Tim Russert

THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB’S 22ND ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL DINNER April 24 • J.W. Marrio PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

THE EVENT A powerhouse black-tie dinner which raised a recordbreaking $1.9 million for the Boy & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. THE SCENE Twelve-time master of ceremonies Tim Russert, along with the club’s CEO Will Gunn, honored Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Rep. Kendrick Meek (and many more) for their outstanding contributions to the Clubs. THE GUESTS Bristol-Myers Squibb CEO James Cornelius, GlaxoSmith Kline CEO Christopher Vieblacher, Kuwaiti Amb. Salem Al-Sabah and wife Rima, and Grace Bender.

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Grace Bender and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez

Marcus and Rhonda Johnson

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Meryl Chertoff

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Mauricio

If you want to know how to turn $600 into a collection of the hottest Nuevo Latino spots in DC, talk to Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld. With a thin wallet and no English skills, he came to the United States at the age of 20 and has grown into one of the areas most successful local entrepreneurs.

Working odd jobs to pay his way through school, Mauricio knew that one day he would have a signiďŹ cant impact on the culture of DC. His infectious spirit and business intuition made him a successful promoter and he quickly rose to the top of the DC nightlife scene.

Drawing upon his Ecuadorian roots and recognizing the rising interest in Latin American culture, Mauricio opened Chi Cha Lounge in 1997. Over the next ten years Mauricio rose to the forefront of the popularization of Nuevo Latino cuisine in the United States by single-handedly assembling, designing, and ďŹ nancing seven additional Latin American-themed establishments. He now sits proudly at the top of his creation, Latin Concepts, a company dedicated to the realization of Latin inspired creative concepts for businesses.

NIGHT L I F E

Samira Azzam, Theresa Velasquez, Tala Raassi, Jennifer Green and Shelby Burcham

Located at 1420 K St, N.W., the posh Lotus Lounge is the latest entrant to Washington’s growing nightclub scene

Trisha Bennett, Jacqui Davis and Markella Prather WL PARTY

LOTUS LOUNGE CHAMPAGNE AND SUSHI LAUNCH May 10 • Lotus Lounge PHOTOS BY JAIME WINDON AND EDGER BECERRA

THE EVENT: A long line of posh couples and paparazzi-like flashes lit up K Street at the doors of Washington’s newest hotspot. It was the grand opening of Michael Romeo’s Lotus Lounge, sponsored by Washington Life Magazine and the party promoters of JetSetMafia.com. For those on the list, the small glass entrance acted as a humble introduction to the colorful celebration that awaited them at the bo om of the wood-carved stairway. Guests were treated to sushi, champagne and DJ sounds throughout the evening. Part sushi restaurant, part stylish lounge, Lotus hopes to have its innovative menu and large selection of drinks appeal to power brokers by day and party seekers at night.

Dawoud Al-Khabbaz and Mitch Katz

For more photos visit washingtonlife.com and jetsetmafia.com.

Caroline Burns, Brooke Daley, Samantha Vinograd and Megan Hood

Ashton Randle and Jason van Buren

Courtenay White a nd Courtney Davis

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Melodi Ashrafi, Sandy Grabowski and Andrea Lethbridge

Janet Semnario and Berker Hazar

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A RO U N D T O W N

All That Jazz The Vanishing Hotel/Bassinets And Booties/New Orleans On My Mind/ Chefs For WDCJCC/Portrait Of Courage

architectural marvel of sculptured columns, artworks, chandeliers, beds, benches and tables – all carved from ice. Guests, warmly outfitted by the hotel, stay a night “on the ice,” then usually transfer B Y D O N N A to the warm hotel and chalets on-site. How does the public SHOR take to this? “We have 96 percent occupancy,” said Yngve happily, “but of course, it ends in April, THE VANISHING HOTEL “My hotel disappears each April, when the sun sends the melting to be rebuilt each December,” said hotel back into the Torne.”

It was only on loan from the Yngve Bergqvist resignedly, during breakfast at the House of Sweden river. recently. He created the amazing IceHotel near Kiruna airport, above BASSINETS AND BOOTIES the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland.

Debbie Dingell joined Rima Al“The Torne is its mother,” says Sabah at the Kuwait embassy toBergqvist,“because we build it using host Norah O’Donnell’s shower. the exceptionally clear ice cut from The mama-to-be, of NBC and the frozen Torne River nearby.”

MSNBC, will be rocking twins Forget igloos; the IceHotel is an soon. A boy and a girl, say Norah and her restaurateur husband Geoff Tracy ( C h e f G e o f f ’s ) .

Rima’s signature red roses filled the azure atrium pool; countless Middle Eastern treats were on the table; “I only expected a cup of tea and a cookie!” said one first-time visitor. Cheer ing Norah on as she opened presents Yngve Bergquist, creator of the IceHotel in Sweden, speaks at a breakfast at House of Sweden.

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Debbie Dingell, Rima Al-Sabah and Norah O’Donnell at a baby shower hosted by Al-Sabah at the Kuwait Embassy in O’Donnell’s honor.

were Anita McBride, chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush; and the wives of three cabinet secretaries: Edie Gutierrez (Commerce), Marcia Jackson (Housing and Urban Development), and Meryl Chertoff (Homeland Security).

A few of the others present included Marlene Malek, Grace Bender, NBC’s Barbara Harrison and former White House social secretary Lea Berman . Table favors were life-size Belgian chocolate baby shoes, ordered

by Rima from California. No guest left shoeless.

NEW ORLEANS ON MY MIND

At Strathmore Music Center’s Big Easy Ball, a traditional dinner, from Cajun prawns to Bananas Foster, led to the auditorium, where trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and his brilliant New Orleans Jazz Orchestra thrilled the crowd. Mayfield, state and federally dubbed “Cultural Ambassador of New Orleans” for promoting the city’s unique jazz; now dedicates his work to his father, who drowned in Hurricane Katrina. (Mayfield’s dirge for him, heartfelt and beautiful, moved many to tears). But this was a New Orleans ball, and soon everyone, carnival bead-draped, headed to hear the waiting Dr. John,

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the “Night Tripper” (whose albums include cameos by Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton), where desserts after which dancing went on for hours.

In New York, it was rockin’ in the Big Apple for the Big Easy.

Hungarian Ambassador András Simonyi brought his Coalition of the Willing rock band to Manhattan to raise funds for needy New Orleans musicians, left gig-less with their clubs destroyed and their audience dispersed. Seen: Susan Eisenhower (Ike’s granddaughter); Tom Clarkson, John and Giselle Theberge Jeppson, and blonde Patricia Duff, former Hollywood and Washington fundraiser extraordinaire.

TEN TOP CHEFS FOR WDCJCC

On one side of the handsomely bedecked Union Station banquet room, George Washington University president Stephen Trachtenberg, top

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

TOP: Guests at Annie Totah’s table at the Big Easy Ball – standing: Martin Brokowski, David Townsend, WPAS President Neale Perl, Annie Totah, Peter Franchot and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend; sitting: Nicole Totah, Tom McMillen, Dina Sarbannes and Rep. John Sarbannes. Photo credit: Margot Schulman. RIGHT: Gala Co-Chairs Catherine Leggett and Carol Trawick at the Big Easy Ball held at Strathmore Music Center. Photo credit: Margot Schulman

bidder on the weekfor-ten in Provence, was being congratulated, on the other side, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was being interrogated. The pundit and the academician helped raise $300,000 for the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center’s outreach programs of education and social concerns. Award-winning chefs preparing cocktail hour specialties, dinner and drinks were led by Equinox’s Todd Gray and included Roberto Donna and Ann Amernick.

Seen: Richard and Lois Hechinger England, Dan and Rhoda Glickman, George and Trish Vradenburg, Dianne and Alan Kaye, Michele and Allen Berman, Nancy and Harold Zirkin and Leslie and Leonard Shapiro.

PORTRAIT OF COURAGE

Pretty Kristal Nemeroff is 19 years old and four feet tall with

| J U N E | washingtonlife.com

brittle bone disease; she gets about on a wheeled platform.

“I love The Children’s Inn at National Institutes of Health for all they have done for me,” she said at the Mayflower Hotel gala for the Inn (“a place like home” for families with children facing serious illnesses). “I have been going there since I was a baby, and they have given me a life.” AFCEA electronics group sponsorship, with the cooperation of the technology industry – Microsoft, Booz Allen and Bearing Point, among others – raised $375,000 for the cause. Enthusiastic Kristal, an accomplished singer and the 2006 Pocono Teen Idol in her home state of Pennsylvania, gave a riveting performance at the

gala. Now a college freshman; she was a dean’s list student in high school, despite setbacks. In a quiet moment she counted the things she is grateful for: “I have the support of my parents and the Children’s Inn, I have my music, and the thrill of college before me. I am truly blessed.”

Upcoming event we should know about? Send to aroundtown@ washingtonlife.com.

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EVENT SPOTLIGHT

The World of Portugal The Freer and Sackler Galleries Gala celebrates the cultural influence of Portugal

Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries” opens in both the Sackler and the neighboring National Museum of African Art. This tremendous undertaking traces Portugal’s influence around

BY CYNTHIA HELMS the globe, from Japan to India, from HONORARY TRUSTEE Africa to China, and will resonate OF THE FREER AND with the public long after the SACKLER GALLERIES exhibition has moved on.

A black-tie opening gala for n the eighteen years since the Freer and Sackler Galleries – the national museum the exhibition to be held on June of Asian art at the Smithsonian – held 20 will be attended by Portuguese their first gala on the mall, the annual President Anibal Cavaco Silva and gathering has turned into one of the highlights other high-level government and of the year. In addition to a black-tie evening, the corporate partners from Portugal gala became a way to educate the public about and Oman.

The first gala, in 1987, was a the arts and cultures of Asia. Almost twenty years later, with geographical literacy very much on smaller affair. Then, director Milo peoples’ minds and funding for institutions like Beech and I were thinking of the Smithsonian often on shaky ground, that ways to not only fund educational need is still great. “Encompassing the Globe: programming at the museum, but to encourage more visitors to come to the Freer, a rather esoteric museum.

The combined Freer and Sackler The Freer opened its doors in 1923 after galler ies a re Charles Freer donated his collection and also one of the funds to build the museum. Today, the Freer and Sackler Galleries house one of the most To that end, the galleries have secret pleasures important collections of Asian art. used proceeds from the annual galas of the Mall with to fund programs of music and incomparable riches inside, and we were looking for a way to give the poetry, to host school groups both in the museum institution a presence.The Freer opened its doors and in their own classrooms, to offer meaningful in 1923 while the Sackler was only two years and creative hands-on programs for children in old when Milo and I put our heads together, the ImaginAsia family classroom, and to present and came up with the idea for the gala. I invited films, lectures, and important exhibitions as David Rockefeller and Brooke Astor – both of well. In many ways, the museum is a bridge to whom were immersed in the arts and cultures understanding worlds different from our own.

It may start with a party, but the annual gala of Asia – who flew down from New York City for the evening. “I knew it would be allows us to roll up our sleeves and do the real Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva will a glamorous affair, so I wore my pearls,” work of the museum: to get people to focus on come for the gala opening of “Encompassing Brooke told me before she departed. Of the arts and cultures of Asia and how much we the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th owe to that part of the world. course, her pearls were as large as eggs! and 17th Centuries.”

I

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DI PLO MATI C D A N C E

Fresh Starts France lends a helping hand, Germany’s chancellor comes to town and Slovenia’s new embassy

B Y G A I L SCOTT

The Old School Try

When departing French Ambassador JeanDavid Levitte and his wife Marie-Cécile heard that the innovative dual-language Rock Creek International School was in dire financial straits, they offered a fund-raising dinner.

“We live in a globalized world,” Levitte told his 60 dinner guests. “The United States is the leading country and you can’t lead if you don’t know the world; and you can’t lead if you don’t have the languages.”

This innovative private academy was founded 17 years ago as the first school in the nation to have non-religious dual language immersion programs in Arabic from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Rock Creek also has programs in English-Spanish and English-French, which is what first attracted the Levittes.

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Their dinner raised $70,000 and now some parents are hoping against all odds to find a way to keep Rock Creek’s doors open past June.

With Headmaster Peter Greer’s blessing, parent Patrice Pisinski has organized a letter-writing campaign to Arabic and Spanish-speaking embassies to ask for help. Bahrain already gave $50,000 earlier this year.

A touching pre-dinner speech by Ruby Bridges of New Orleans Departing French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte and urged parents to try one last time.

Ruby Bridges. In 1960, Bridges was the first AfricanMs. Bridges, immortalized in a American to attend a white school in Louisiana.

Norman Rockwell painting, was the first African-American to attend Waldseemüller and other mapmakers removed a white school in Louisiana and, as a six-year the name “America,” perhaps suggesting that old in 1960, became the youngest foot soldier they had second thoughts about honoring in America’s civil rights movement.

Americus Vespucci exclusively for exploring “You shouldn’t give up on your dream, the new world. your passion,” said Ms. Bridges. “Why not keep reaching out and start over? It’s crucial Washington’s Newest Diplomatic Digs that your work continues.”

Slovenia is redesigning the old Yugoslavian Embassy on California Street, N.W., to be its own. It’s prime location right behind America’s “Birth Certificate” In a major ceremony held April 30th in the Venezuelan residence will be a great the Library of Congress’ Great Hall, German advantage for this young country. The $5 Chancellor Angela Merkel symbolically million renovation will include an apartment transferred the last surviving copy of the on the top floor with a terrace overlooking 1507 Marin Waldseemüller Map, the first Massachusetts Avenue for Ambassador Samuel printed document to use the Zbogar, his wife Maya and their three children name “America.” The 500- (aged 15, 12 and 5).

According to Zbogar, “The most exciting year-old map, often called “America’s Birth Certificate” part of the chancery will be the huge twoor “The Map that Named story bay window where Slovenian artists Tobias America,” has already been at Putrih (Vienna Biennale) and Emil Memon will the library for four years after display their innovative work. With all this glass, its purchase for $10 million we will have a much more inviting, friendly and from a German prince in May transparent embassy to reflect our country, which 2003. Interestingly, by 1513 has the same attributes.” It’s also a perfect setting for Slovenia, which will hold the EU Presidency in early 2008.

TOP LEFT: Slovenian Amb. Samuel Zbogar, who will move into his country’s new embassy this summer.

LEFT: Schematics detailing the new Slovenian Embassy in Kalorama.

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DO YOU KNOW EMBASSY ROW?

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ummertime, when many of us think of working less and playing more, is often the reverse for some diplomatic spouses who relish going on summer leave to pick up their careers again. Most know that British wife LADY MANNING writes mystery novels (“That’s what I do in the summertime and on holiday,” she says. “I’m much too busy during the regular part of the year. My time isn’t my own then.”): But do you know …

Thomas Nowotny

Argentina’s MÓNICA BORDÓN is an Eisenhower Fellow who’s been a professor and researcher, policy advisor and analyst here and at home in knowledge management: how the technology du jour affects the way people think and live.

Austria’s THOMAS NOWOTNY, the author of four books and a retired high-ranking diplomat himself, is a senior advisor of corporate development and international affairs for AWS, an Austrian development bank, and a political science professor at the University of Vienna.

Barbados’ JACQUELINE KING majored in sociology and politics but is a professional artist.

Burkina Faso’s PRISCILLE ZONGO is the legal counselor for the embassy. In her country, this mother of three teenage boys was not only a lawyer but a domestic court judge for twenty years. Her embassy job here includes counseling married couples and performing wedding ceremonies at the chancery.

Diana Dueñas

Costa Rica’s DIANA DUEÑAS is a lawyer and still advises clients at home, especially her own family’s business.

Ecuador’s FABIOLA GALLEGOS founded a bottled water business years ago and keeps her eye on the company even when she’s not “in country” but admits, “I work much harder in the summer and when we return from a mission abroad. That’s when I can be there in person.”

Finland’s LAUREL COLLESS is returning to work now that their second daughter Julia is almost one and their first daughter, Olivia is four. This native Australian will be head of research for Virginia Tech’s “Technology for Sustainable Development” department in Alexandria.

Fabiola Gallegos

Greece’s FRANÇOISE MALLIAS is a Swiss clinical psychologist who is interested in opening an intergenerational center for Greek women where daughters and granddaughters would learn traditional handiwork (crocheting, knitting, sewing) from a grandmother, even if she’s not their own.

Françoise Mallias

Kuwait’s RIMA AL-SABAH was a foreign news correspondent during the Lebanese war, at one time sharing an office with The Washington Post’s Nora Boustany. No wonder she’s such a good friend of the media; she knows how to create a good story.

Oman’s FUAD AL-HINAI is an ambassador too; while his wife is Oman’s ambassador here, he’s Oman’s ambassador to the U. N. and non-resident ambassador to Colombia, Cuba and Venezuela.

Poland’s HANNA REITER studied German philology but ultimately became an entrepreneur, starting her own real estate business in Warsaw which she monitors long distance and re-enters full force each summer.

Swedish wife KARI LOTSBERG and her husband, Amb. Gunnar Lund, will be moving to Paris soon “because it’s easier on the family with Kari’s career,” says the Ambassador. Kari is currently managing director of Svaneli AB, an EU consulting and financial affairs firm in Stockholm.

Hanna Reiter

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The Mahshie & Turner Group 202.939.1229

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GEORGETOWN Semi-detached 1860â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Georgetown residence with 3 BR, den, 2.5 baths, formal living & dining rooms w/ fireplace, high ceilings and original moldings. Over-sized kitchen with abundant windows, deep fenced garden/terrace & one-car parking. $1,339,000.

Shawn Breck 202.641.1200 Pike/Venditti 202.550.8871

quality and services, results in tremendous advantages to buyers and sellers.

Call one of our experts in DC, MD or VA.

WEST END

Beautiful light filled 1,400 sq ft duplex at The Westgate featuring 2BR/2.5BA, stunning views of the park, roof top terrace and doorman. Blocks to Georgetown, Trader Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Metro.

Michael Rankin 202.271.3344

WATERFRONT

Stunning, completely redesigned 1BR/1.5 BA unit at â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Harbour Squareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cooperative. Gourmet kitchen, ebony stained parquet floors, custom beech cabinetry, stunning rooftop deck and garden with hot tub. A truly unique residence.

Jeffrey White 571.233.6899 Brent Jackson 202.263.9200

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Š MMV Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realty AfďŹ liates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Les Bords de lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Epte a Giverny, used with permission. Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International RealtyÂŽ is a licensed trademark to Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realty AfďŹ liates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each OfďŹ ce Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except OfďŹ ces Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

H I STO R I C A L L A N D S C A P E S

The Misfortunes of Friendship How the Hope Diamond first came to Washington

BY DONNA EVERS

T

he legendary Hope Diamond rotates slowly behind a thick wall of bulletproof glass, reflecting the halogen lighting in flashes of brilliance as it moves. It is the most popular exhibit in the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum for three reasons: its magnificence, its value and its famous curse. The stone is said to bring misfortune and death to anyone who owns it.

The infamous gem first came to Washington via one of its last owners, Evalyn Walsh McLean.

She was an heiress to a gold mine fortune and in 1909 married the equally wealthy Ned McLean, whose father made his money in natural gas and owned The Washington Post. The rich young couple quickly became the stars of Washington society. Their 60-acre “Friendship” estate in Northwest Washington, and its huge Georgian mansion, became the mecca for the most spectacular parties in town, including one that Evalyn gave for 48 friends which cost her $40,000. But then, she also spent a million dollars on a party to celebrate her dog’s birthday.While Ned imported sod from Switzerland to build an 18-hole golf course on the estate for his pal, President Warren G. Harding, party-going Cole Porter immortalized Evalyn in his song “Anything Goes” which includes a verse about “Missus Ned McLean (God bless her) ... .”

The McLeans’ encounter with the Hope Diamond took place in Paris in 1911. Jeweler Pierre Cartier visited them at the Hotel Bristol to show them a bauble they might like. Mrs. McLean didn’t like its setting, so Cartier reset the

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The Hope Diamond today, as seen at the Smithsonian.

jewel and presented it to them two months later. Cartier told her how its owners met with bad luck and how it had once hung around the Evalyn McLean wearing the neck of the ill-fated Hope Diamond, holding her Marie Antoinette, two Scotty dogs. Photo credit: but Evalyn was a McLean Gardens. non-conformist.

She believed that what was unlucky for others would bring her good fortune. More importantly, she believed the diamond would guarantee her celebrity back in Washington. Ned agreed; they bought it for the fabulous sum of $180,000 and brought it back to “Friendship.”

Evalyn wore the diamond almost every day.

She warned others not to touch it, for fear the curse would rub off on them. When the young couple returned home from France, Ned’s mother and a friend both picked up the stone to examine it more closely. They both died within the year.

It was the first in a string of misfortunes. Ned and Evalyn’s son Vinson, dubbed the “Million

Dollar Baby” when he was born, was hit by a car while crossing Wisconsin Avenue in front of the Friendship Estate, and died a few days later. Ned McLean’s connection with President Harding ruined his reputation when the president got mixed up in the Teapot Dome scandal. Ned became a hopeless alcoholic and got involved in a series of well-publicized infidelities and scandals. Eventually the bankrupt Washington Post was sold at auction to Eugene Meyer, father of Katharine Graham. Ned McLean ended up in an insane asylum and died there in 1941. Evalyn’s daughter died a few years later of a drug overdose.

Evalyn was in and out of debt for the remaining years of her life, pawning the precious Hope Diamond whenever she ran short of funds. She died in 1947 from an infection she got while recovering from a broken hip. It may or may not have been due to the curse, but the McLeans managed to run through a combined inheritance of over $100 million (which would be billions in today’s dollars).

Evalyn never blamed the Hope Diamond for her misfortunes. In her book Father Struck It Rich, she said, “tragedies, for anyone who lives, are not escapable.” After her death, the diamond was sold at auction to jewelry store magnate Harry Winston, who donated it to the Smithsonian, where it is visited every week by thousands of people.The three-inch thick walls of glass prevent curious viewers from touching the stone, and that’s probably just as well.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| JUNE

| washingtonlife.com

GEORGETOWN LONG & FOSTER

Chevy Chase/Kenwood

Foggy Bottom/West End

Chevy Chase

Sensational 1936 Fieldstone Colonial expanded and renovated to perfection. Over 8,000 sf. of living space and 18,399 sq ft on the property. “Great Room” off the breakfast room and kitchen, high ceilings, stenciled floors, hand painted walls, media room. Virtual tour - www.Homevisit.com. $3,795,000.

The Columbia. Brand new 2,000 sq.ft luxury condo in West End! Two bedrooms, den, 2.5 Baths, Poggenpohl kitchen, 2-car garage parking, roof-top pool, fitness center , Trader Joe’s. Walk to Metro and Georgetown. $1,500,000.

GLORIOUS LIVING IN DC! Custom built in 2003. Magnificent home with 6 bedrooms, 4 l/2 baths, family room, 2-car garage offering nearly 8,000 square feet of luxury for today’s modern lifestyle. Close to Rock Creek Park and ten minutes to downtown.

Well-priced at $2,200,000.

Mary Ann Corette 202-256-5501

Terri Robinson 202-966-6223

Terri Robinson 202-966-6223

Chevy Chase/Kenwood

Georgetown

Palisades

Elegant brick colonial presents a lovely setting for grand scale entertaining, as well as comfortable family living. Renovated and expanded in 2004. 6BR’s, 5.5BA on upper floors. Chef’s gourmet kitchen, breakfast room, 2 family rooms, screened porch overlooking pool, high ceilings throughout, four fireplaces, excercise room, computer room, and much more! $3,695,000.

Architectural Masterpiece. Situated on large lot with total privacy, this magnificent property is the most unusual residence for sale in Georgetown. Custom-built for current owner in 1978 and beautifully maintained, it features massive courtyard with heated pool, balconies and built-in 4 car garage. $5,900,00.

Modernism for today. Impeccably designed residence with professional office and studio space, C1 zoned, five levels, approximately 4200 sf with three outdoor terraces, panoramic roof deck, gardens, parking. 5171 MacArthur Boulevard, NW. $1,875,000. Attached guest house at 5169 MacArthur Boulevard is available for $799,000.

Mary Ann Corette 202-256-5501

Terri Robinson 202-966-6223

Denise Warner 202-487-5162

Georgetown

Bethesda/Bradley Hills

Georgetown

Country serenity in the heart of Georgetown. One of the first properties built on Reservoir Road (National Register of Historic Places). 5BR/5.5BA Federal c.1800 on two lots, offering expansive entertaining areas and spacious living quarters. LR w/fireplace, sun-drenched DR w/built-in cabinets, and Marble floors in entry foyer & DR. Magnolia shaded garden includes 2 slate patios & parking. Price upon request.

European style residence redesigned & renovated to create a supremely subtle interior that is compatible with endless views of extensive plantings. Masterfully crafted, exquisite in every detail: coffered ceilings, inlaid floors, new top-of-the-line media room, wine cellar, custom milled woodwork throughout, 5 fireplaces & more. All on a spectacular 1.7 acres w/pool, spa, pond, secret garden, night lights & sound. $3,850,000

Elegant Colonial Revival in Georgetown’s “East Village” directly across from historic Tudor Place. Remodeled, restyled and partially renovated, it includes 5BRs/4.5BA, Library w/FP, Living Room w/ FP, Dining Room with “dining patio”, large bright Country Kitchen with sitting area, Master Bedroom w/ FP, a Waterworks master bath, lovely sun filled Garden with Pool, and detached Garage! $3,650,000.

Ignacio Sagarminaga 202-341-9798

Mary Ann Corette 202-256-550

Stephen Vardas 202-744-0411

Georgetown Long & Foster Real Estate 1680 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20007 202-944-8400

OPEN HOUSE

Home for the Summer?

Two Northwest classics hit the market SECLUSION IN NORTHWEST UNIVERSITY TERRACE N W WASHINGTON D C

DON’T LET THE ADDRESS FOOL YOU – THIS ISN’T COLLEGE HOUSING

This secluded estate located off Foxhall Road is just steps from Battery Kemble Park. The interior features a bright and open floor plan, and has been finished with meticulous detailing, including beautiful moldings, millwork and high ceilings. The house, which features five bedrooms and five and half baths, sits on a private 26,000-square-foot lot surrounded by lush grounds, parkland and towering trees.

ASKING

Listing Agent: Giselle Theberge Washington Fine Properties For information call 202-243-1602

KALORAMA CALLING

TRACY PLACE N W WASHINGTON D C

NEVER SHARE A BATHROOM AGAIN

Recently renovated with the finest materials and modern conveniences, this red brick Georgian style house was designed by renowned architect Waddy Wood and built by R.W. Bolling. The 6,500-squarefoot residence features seven bedrooms and seven and a half baths. In addition, the property features gardens and enough gated parking for several cars.

ASKING

Listing Agent: Jamie Peva Washington Fine Properties For information call 202-258-5050 Listing Agent: A. Michael Sullivan Jr. Washington Fine Properties For information call 202-365-9000 130

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| JUNE

| washingtonlife.com

W.C.

& A.N.

MILLER REALTORS®

A Long & Foster. Co.

A Sampling From Your Leading Community Realtor $7,799,000

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING EASTON, MD Spectacular custom built 134+ acre Waterfront Estate with water views from every room. Drive up the private lane, past farmland, vineyards, & mature Italian style gardens. Pool and deepwater pier.

Doc Keene, 202-441-2343 Dan Corr, 202-274-2390

$1,950,000

$4,500,000

UPPER BRACKETS

$1,950,000

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

WESLEY HEIGHTS, DC

BETHESDA, MD

COMUS, MD

Grand home in Wesley Heights, once a Vice Pres. residence. Fieldstone Tudor on serene cul-de-sac backs to Park, .54 acre of magnificent grounds. Exquisite architectural detail, embassy-sized rooms, 8 BRs, 6.5 Bas & 4 FP.

Magnificent, custom Built Residence.

An absolute paradise on over 1 acre with Pool, Tennis Court & Pavilion. Luxurious entertaining spaces, 6 bedroom Suites, Incredible Amenities.

Muffin Lynham, 202-362-1300

Nestled in the foothills of Sugarloaf Mt. outstanding manor home on 32 private acres. “Southern Living” “house of the year” design with wonderful open floor plan, spacious rooms for entertaining.

Visit: www.tkhomes.com

Toni Koerber, 301-802-6770

Meg Crowlie, 301-641-7488

$1,899,000

$1,595,000

From $1.4 Million

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

FT. WASHINGTON, MD

POTOMAC, MD

DARNESTOWN, MD

LEESBURG, VA - RED HILL MANOR

Newly built custom home with over 7000 square feet of finished space on two and one half acres. 6 bedroomss, 6.5baths, four car garage, first floor bedroom suite.

Stunning newly built custom home on 4.5 private acres in enclave of estate homes. 6BR, 4.5BA, open floor plan with spacious rooms, 10ft. ceilings, shingle siding, gourmet kitchen, covered porches. Shows like a model.

Spectacular 7BR, 6.5BA waterfront estate minutes to the Capitol & National’s stadium. Upscale finishes throughout this custom brick colonial on a quiet cul-de-sac in an idyllic setting. Steps to Broad Creek & the Potomac.

Andy Alderdice, 301-466-5898 Doc Keane, 202-441-2343

$1,300,000

Denise Sheehan, 301-509-1021 Toni Koerber, 301-802-6770

$1,075,000

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

WORLD-WIDE OFFERING

CHEVY CHASE, MD (SECTION 3)

POTOMAC, MD

Impressive home designed by nationally acclaimed, AIA award winning Architect for his personal residence. Elegant interior spaces, great attention to detail, superb finishes, and walls of glass allow for optimal enjoyment of gardens with complete privacy.

Muffin Lynham 202-362-1300

Exclusive Affiliate of

CHRISTIE’S GREAT ESTATES

DC, MARYLAND & NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Enjoy a quality life style in this sensational home on a quiet cul-de-sac in popular close-in neighborhood. Great space, stunning architectural renovations and outstanding condition…truly a great home.

Carol Nerenburg, 202-957-5559

Toni Koerber, 301-802-6770

$729,000

7 NEW luxury Estate Homes nestled in a 41 acre wooded preserve awaiting their first owner! Dramatic high-end finishes & appointments on 4 finished levels, from 7,300 to over 12,000 fin. SF. on 1 to 10 acres of privacy min. Brambleton Town Center, Dulles, & D.C.

Nikolas Groshans, 202-258-3129

$649,000

This charming green townhouse is an environmentally friendly & highly efficient renovation by architect CHEVY CHASE, DC owners.

Three bedrooms, two baths, finished lower level, deck, patio, close to Metro.

Fantastic, rarely-available, Brick End-Unit Townhouse offers luxury living on 4 levels in sought after Decoverly!

Formal LR & DR, huge kit, FR, 2 FP, 2 car gar, ROCKVILLE, MD 3-4 BRs including gorgeous owner’s suite w/ Loft & luxury bath.

Approx. 3000 SF renovated w/new systems, roof, windows-so much more!

Graciela Haim, 301-807-8845

Nikolas Groshans, 202-258-3129

“We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of Equal Housing Opportunity throughout the Nation.

We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial staturs or national origin.”

Proudly Serving D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia

R E A L E STAT E N E W S

Above, left to right– Veronique Bardach has sold 1802 35th Street, N.W., in Georgetown to Paul Bonner, who paid $899,000 / 6565 Georgetown Pike in McLean has sold for $3,175,000. Herbert Lanese bought the home from Jennifer and David Mitchell

THE DISTRICT • MARYLAND • VIRGINIA THE DISTRICT Jim Bell of Washington Fine Properties was the listing agent for Olive Street﹐ N﹒W﹒, in Phillips Row, Georgetown’s newest enclave.The East Village development was designed by Sorg & Associates, built by Gibson & Associates, and landscaped by Oehme van Sweden & Associates.

Together they have paid homage to Georgetown’s rich heritage and combined the traditional with modern craftsmanship and amenities.

The extraordinary four-level property has five bedrooms and four and a half baths, including an opulent master bath with heated floors, double vanity, Whirlpool tub, steam shower and water closet. The kitchen has granite countertops, a walk-in pantry and a wine cooler. There is also a pergola-covered rooftop deck and two parking spaces in a gated drive. Extras include “smart house wiring,” dual-zone air conditioning and a built-in stereo system with wall-mounted control panels in most rooms. While the buyer chose not to be identified, the sellers are nationally recognized broadcast journalist and sportscaster Bre Haber and his wife Jenn, who asked for and received $2,495,000. In the mid-90’s, Brett Haber helped anchor SportsCenter, ESPN’s

132

BY MARY K M EWBORN flagship news program. His coverage of events ranging from the Super Bowl to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona have garnered him nine regional Emmy Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting. Haber is currently the sports director for WUSA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Washington.

Bell was also the listing agent for Thomas Heffernan’s end-unit row house located near Volta Park at P Street﹐ N﹒W﹒, in Georgetown’s West Village. Offered at $899,000, the clapboard structure was built in 1890 and renovated in the 1980’s. It has three bedrooms and one and a half baths; a living room with a fireplace, hardwood floors and built-in bookcases; a formal dining room; a kitchen with a skylight; a walled garden with southern exposure; and an extra large one-car garage. The buyer wishes to remain anonymous.

Veronique Bardach, CEO of inshop.com, has sold th Street﹐ N﹒W﹒, in Georgetown.

This 1900 Federal has been masterfully renovated and beautifully oriented to a landscaped rear

garden.The dining room and living rooms adjoin an atrium with access to the backyard featuring mature trees, flagstone patio and al fresco dining area with a barbecue.The master bedroom boasts a skylight and a sundeck with garden views.

There are two additional bedrooms and baths, one with a skylight. Other pluses include a home office, gourmet kitchen and gated driveway with a carport. Nancy Itteilag with Long and Foster listed the property.The new owner is Paul Bonner, who paid $899,000.

MARYLAND

In Potomac, Beman Woods Way went for $1,499,000 after being listed by Nancy Itteilag. Located in Prescott on the golf course at Avenel, this “C” model home was designed

by Samuel P. Pardoe and built in 1988 on a large wooded lot featuring a spacious deck and surrounded by a wrought iron fence.The inviting two-story foyer has a curved hardwood staircase and its main floor hosts a living room with a gas fireplace. Perfect for entertaining, there is a formal dining room, breakfast room adjacent to the eat-in kitchen, and a family room with a wet bar, fireplace and enviable views of the grounds.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| JUNE

| washingtonlife.com

LONG & FOSTER McLean

Enhanced by beautifully landscaped gardens, this custom-built estate on 1.87 acres presents a lovely setting for living and entertaining.

Custom millwork, a 2,000 bottle wine cellar, a wood paneled library and 38’ family room wing are a few of the very special features of this 5 bedroom home. Conveniently located to DC, Tysons and all major airports. $2,955,000 Karen Barker, Owner/Agent Foxhall Office 202-363-1800

Bethesda Ave Office 240-497-1700

Chevy Chase/Uptown 202-364-1300

Chevy Chase 202-363-9700

Foxhall 202-363-1800

McLean

D.C., Montgomery County, Parts of Northern Virginia

Bethesda

Woodley Park 202-483-6300

Chevy Chase

Extraordinary 7500+sq.ft. Williamsburg Cape Cod in Bannockburn Estates. Expanded and renovated to perfection! Fabulous flow for large-scale entertaining. First floor Study plus private Den. Exquisite rear yard with new inground pool and spa. $1,895,000.

Lois Robins 301-229-3424 / 301-526-3424 Bethesda Ave Office 240-497-1700

| JUNE

Georgetown 202-944-8400

Spectacular Hugh Jacobsen-designed estate with river views. Contemporary 4-5 Bedroom, 5-1/2 Bath home on 2.3 acres with pool, sleek finishes and breathtaking views from every room in the house. Media room, 4 working fireplaces, European Kitchen – minutes from DC in sought-after Crest Lane. $6,500,000 Cynthia Howar, Salley Widmayer Foxhall Office 202-363-1800/ Georgetown Office 202-944-8400

Potomac/Avenel

Built in 1997, this Kirstein custom-built Colonial affords stunning views of a designer landscaped garden with waterfalls.

Includes limestone foyer, cook’s kitchen, soaring family room, mahogany paneled library, 5 BRs, 4 BAs, 2 powder rooms, sports court. LL w/BR, full BA, powder room, game & exercise rm. Community amenities include private surveillance & full landscaping maintenance. This lovely retreat is only 30 minutes from DC & two major airports.

Nancy Itteilag 202-905-7762 Foxhall Office 202-363-1800

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Friendship Heights 202-364-5200

| washingtonlife.com

Well-Kept Secret! Elegant, private, perfect for entertaining townhome in Chatsworth, Chevy Chase DC! Five finished levels, 4 BR, 3 FBA, 2 HBA, crown molding, soaring ceilings, library w/fireplace, living room opening to serene patio and Japanese style garden, formal dining room, spacious kitchen, butler’s pantry, master suite w/sitting area, wall of closets, family room, garage! Across from Rock Creek Park, easy access to downtown and every part of the City. $1,100,000.

Cathleen Banner 202-297-3256 Marcela Zoccali 301-275-5978 Bethesda Ave Office 240-497-1700

Berkley

Sophisticated Style! This exceptional home in the international style has ample living and entertaining space - a gracious foyer with curved staircase, large kitchen, 5 bdrms, 5 1/2 baths, and large family room opening to the garden.

Erica Moorhead 202 256-1855 or Pam Murdock 202 320-3340 Georgetown Office 202-944-8400

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LEFT TO RIGHT: 8309 Turnberry Court in Avenel is under contract for $1,099,000; the prospective buyers are Jamie and Bradley Kleinknecht. Carla Hilbert and her husband Gen. Donald Hilbert are the sellers / Diane Herbert and Robert Moul sold 1700 Crescent Lane in McLean to Greta and Peter Lichtenbaum for $1.985 million / Nancy Stout sold 9736 Beman Woods Way in Potomac for $1,499,000 to Karl and Livia Christensen

The seller was Nancy Stout. The buyers are Karl and Livia Christensen.

Also in Avenel, Turnberry Court is under contract for $1,099,000 thanks in part to Itteilag. The prospective buyers are Jamie and Bradley Kleinknecht. Located in the Players Crossing subdivision, the 3,122 squarefoot Colonial townhouse was built by Mitchell and Best in 1992 and has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two powder rooms, a country kitchen, solarium, private garden with a brick patio, and a two-car garage.The sellers are Carla Hilbert and her husband Gen. Donald Hilbert.

VIRGINIA IT engineer Rama Chakaki sold her fivebedroom home at Live Oak Drive in McLean for $1.35 million and moved to Dubai.

Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sharon Hayman represented

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Chakaki in the sale of her three-story house situated on a secluded lot with a pool and spa.

The new owner is businesswoman P. Kay Olive.

In McLeanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chesterbrook Woods neighborhood, Crescent Lane has been purchased for the asking price of $1.985 million.

Now that Diane Herbert and Robert Moul have moved to Philadelphia, Greta and Peter Lichtenbaum â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both attorneys â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hold the deed to the faithfully re-constructed New England-style Colonial located on a prime piece of land. The four-level residence features a double staircase, family room with a fireplace, five bedrooms (all with en suite baths) and a loft. Especially nice is the master bedroom with a sleeping porch overhanging a serene and fragrant garden. The kitchen and breakfast areas also offer access to outdoor living space in the form of two flagstone patios.Weichertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Penny Yerks listed the property.

At $3,175,000, Georgetown Pike in McLean was one of the ten most expensive homes sold the week it went to settlement. The manse has a marble foyer, walnut floors, chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen, an impressive dining room with elaborate moldings, four fireplaces and two playrooms including a lower level recreation area.The property also boasts a wine cellar, au pair suite and a pool. PennyYerks listed this six-bedroom Colonial estate with its beautifully landscaped compound for $3,275,000.

The buyer was Herbert Lanese, CEO, president and director of DynCorp International. Lanese bought his new residence from David Mitchell, director of webMethods (the software integration company for which Software AG recently bid $546 million in cash), and his wife Jennifer.

Please send real estate news items to Mary.

Mewborn@Yahoo.com

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| JUNE

| washingtonlife.com

Spectacular New Home by Zuckerman Brothers

Woodley/Cathedral Community This extraordinary home has been recently completed by acclaimed Zuckerman Brothers Builders. Four stunning levels present a floor plan and design perfect for both full-scale entertaining as well as comfortable family living. From the gourmet kitchen with adjoining family room, to the dramatic top level master suite complete with a private lounge and luxurious “his” and “her” baths, to the fully finished lower level with guest quarters and a second kitchen, no detail has been compromised in presenting a home of distinction. Exquisite millwork/mouldings, six fireplaces, a full-service elevator and two-car garage are some of the many luxurious features found throughout this special home. Ideally located in the heart of the Woodley community with views of the Washington Cathedral, the property is convenient to shopping, restaurants, the Woodley Park Metro, and the vibrancy of downtown Washington, D.C. $3,595,000

Marc Fleisher

!CROSS FROM -ARET 3CHOOL s 3IX "EDROOMS 3EVEN &ULL "ATHS AND 4WO (ALF "ATHS

Career Sales: $2.5 Billion 202-364-5200 x2927 (O) 301-983-2504 (H) http://marcfleisher.realtor.com

Virtual Tour: www.homevisit.com/dc6366203

Bethany Beach, Delaware

OCEAN BLOCK • SOUTH BETHANY Location, Location, Location! This original 3 BR, 1 BA cottage is all about location. Situated only 3 lots off beach front, this property will impress any beach enthusiast. A fantastic opportunity to build with views of the ocean. $1,025,000

BAY FRONT • WEST FENWICK Marvelous New bay front 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath designer furnished home with a 40’ boat pier, drop-dead views of the bay and very close to the Fenwick Beaches. $995,000

OCEAN FRONT • NORTH BETHANY The most significant Ocean Front estate ever offered for sale on the Delaware Coast.

This opportunity to own two acres on the ocean in North Bethany with ample space for pool and tennis may never come again. $10,000,000

BAY FRONT BETHANY BEACH Picture perfect setting and location with the bay surrounding this peninsula. A waterfront property of this kind with expansive views and boating access does not come available often. $1,495,000

BAY FRONT BETHANY BEACH This irresistible canal front fully furnished 4 bedroom, 3 bath home has a 1st floor den with fireplace, amazing views of Jefferson Creek and is an easy walk to the beach. The impeccable interior will impress you. $975,000

BAY SIDE NORTH BETHANY This large 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home with an inverted floor plan takes full advantage of the bay vistas and ocean breezes.

Enjoy this fun beach house in a gated community with pool, tennis, water access and a fabulous private beach. $1,195,000

BAY FRONT WEST FENWICK Bayfront property that won’t come available often at this price.

This 3 bedroom, 2 bath property offers breath taking views, fantastic boating access and is situated only a couple of miles to the beach. $695,000

Feel The Difference

800.851.8997 Pam Adkins

Leslie Kopp

Cell 302.858.7997

302.542.3917 Cell

Sales Associate

pam@bestofbethany.com leslie@bestofbethany.com Office: 302.539.9040 x 207

www.BestofBethany.com

OVER THE MOON

Race into Summer Daffodils in Upperville, Gold Cup and gardening with the Queen

BY VICKY MOON

Riding Attire?

A very elegant Lady Godiva was spotted not far from the main drag in Upperville recently.

And this much is true; one irate woman whispered in my ear, “I think this is a travesty.”

You see, the Lady Godiva in question was part of the hotly contested artistic division of the 44th Annual Daffodil Show presented by the Upperville Garden Club at Buchanan Hall.

The inspiration was “Women: Famous and Infamous,” and the competition was stiff. A note in the program stated:“Bare your creativity.” No problem for Linda Dodderidge, Marcia Keech and Pat Sharp-Hyde, who won the contest hands down.Their clever arrangement, complete with flowing mane of asparagus fern, included an abundant and anatomically correct LG. Is it any wonder that writer John Updike once wrote a very fitting poem back in 1961, which began with: In Upperville, the upper crust Say “Bottoms Up!” from dawn to dusk An “Ups-a-daisy, dear!” at will I want to live in Upperville.

Jumping in style The spring steeplechase season includes the legendary Sandra Marcus, chairman of the Daffodil Show, displays the blue ribbon Maryland Hunt Cup in for the Upperville Garden Club’s the horse country near interpretation of Lady Godiva.

Baltimore. It is a one race only affair with a purse of $75,000 over four miles and 22 (very tall and sturdy) timber fences.

The main attraction is the race ... not too many tailgates here.

This year, as always, there were many from Middleburg watching: John Coles, Ann and Bill Backer, Sheryl and Henry Wood, Lennart and Lena Lundh and Leo and Winston Wood. Race horse trainer Barbara Graham made the day trip over with Jill Waterman and Ellen Waterman. Ellen’s daughter Blair Wyatt rode Bug River and led most of the way, only to finish Lady Godiva, in daffodils. second to Stewart Strawbridge on The Bruce. The race was run in memory of D. Michael Smithwick, who won the Hunt Cup a record six times. His widow, Middleburg horsewoman Dot Smithwick, and other family members were on hand for the trophy presentation.

In Virginia, racing fans and tailgate devotees gathered for the 82nd edition of the $100,000 Virginia Gold Cup. Nick Arundel, who has been an important part of this event and Great Meadow, Lucy Winchester and Betsy Fishback was g iven a at the Bluegrass Conservancy Benefit Auction in Lexington, Ky. gold medal in a touching tribute produced and narrated by Brit Hume of Fox News.

When winning jockey Chip

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Miller turned around to accept the trophy, he found a familiar face. “Mr. Duvall,” he said to the actor. Miller rode Salmo to a wire to wire win for trainer Jack Fisher and owner Irv Naylor. Naylor had a rough start on race day when one of his horses fell and another was disqualified.

But Naylor has never let a setback get in his way. An avid skier, he started Ski Roundtop and his company, Snow Time, Inc., also includes Ski Liberty and Whitetail. He was also a keen rider. In April 1999, while leading the field in the Grand National Steeplechase in Maryland, his horse, Emerald Action, fell only two fences from home. He broke his C5 vertebrae and is now partially paralyzed.

Naylor, of York, Pa., has said you can’t prepare for life’s vicissitudes. He continues to be a major supporter of steeplechasing racing, a strong advocate for stem cell research and an inspiration for forging ahead.

GRACIOUS STYLE Beth and Doug Fout along with Nina Fout (Equestrian bronze medal winner at the

Lennart Lundh at notorious fence number three at the Maryland Hunt Club.

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2000 Olympic Games in Sydney) were among the guests at the garden party at the British Embassy with Queen Elizabeth II. They gathered with other Alan Rubin’s artwork is now on view at Long View equestr ians of Gallery in Washington. note: Sherry and Charlie Fenwick (1980 winner of the English Grand National) and DD and Michael Matz (former Olympic equestrian and trainer of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro). “She was just so gracious and gentle,” Sherry Fenwick reports. “She looked at each of us and spoke to us. Of course, she had a conversation with Charlie and Michael.”

FORGING AHEAD While in Lexington, Ky., for a benefit auction of the Bluegrass Conservancy held at Gainsborough Farm, we bumped into Lucy Winchester, once social secretary to Pat Nixon at the White House. Lucy, a long time horse lover, looked dapper with her trademark bumble bee necklace and matching needlepoint purse.

And speaking of the White House … the Community Leadership Network gathered at the Fauquier Springs Country Club in Warrenton for a brunch and conversation with Helen Thomas. She was introduced by Susan Rubin. (Rubin’s husband Alan Rubin ran the Biograph Theatre in Georgetown and his artwork is now at the Long View Gallery in the city.)

The first lady of the press gave her outspoken thoughts from her latest tome Watchdogs of Democracy? to many kudos.

She and her late husband, AP reporter Douglas Cornell, used to have a place near Rappahannock. She recalled how people

would often ask if she used to go hiking in the country on long weekends.

No way this woman was going hiking – she is much more comfortable with her computer … yet another inspiration for forging ahead.

HUNT COUNTRY CALENDAR JUNE -

The 154th Upperville Colt and Horse Show featuring the $100,000 Budweiser Upperville Jumper Classic; for information visit www.upperville.com or call (540) 6875740 or (540) 592-3270.

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T H I S

T O W N

Fools for Fashion

BY MICHAEL STRANGE

A

t a dinner at the French ambassador’s residence for the stunning actress Fanny Ardant, my girlfriends showed up dressed to impress, and they looked, frankly, well-dressed … for Washington.They were fluffed, buffed and doneup in a few dozen varieties of overcooked silk, satin, lace and chiffon. But when Fanny stood before us on the grand staircase with the (now departing) ambassador, she, in a simple, but chic black sweater and skirt, showed us all what it means to dress well. My dear husband whispered, “Can you explain why Washington fashion doesn’t look like that?” To which I responded, “Darling, that would be like trying to explain John McCain’s campaign.”

In Washington we wear clothing, but we do not do fashion. Fashion is for frivolous people in Hollywood and New York, not here in the nation’s capital where sober folk do the serious business of waging war and spending the taxpayers’ dollars. For every Robin Givhan story about Washington fashion in The Washington Post, there are four she writes about someplace else.

When she does do a D.C. fashion piece it’s usually about a criminal fashion faux pas, like Oscar de la Renta putting the First Lady and three other mere guests in the same dress for the Kennedy Center Honors. The horror.

Jacqueline Kennedy brought chic to the White House and for three years in the 1960’s women here tried to keep pace with her. It was fashion ecstasy. Camelot couture. But, friends, that was half a century ago. Jackie took most of Washington’s chic with her, and what little was left went to the grave with Susan Mary Alsop and Evangeline Bruce. For a while we had International Best Dressed List hall-of-famer Deeda Blair, but she has since moved to New York.

But, guess what? I’m here to say it’s okay.

Stop trying. It doesn’t matter if you can’t tell a

Marc Jacobs from a Michael Kors or a Versace from a Valentino. It’s excusable, too, if you think Proenza Schouler might be a spa in Europe and that Stella McCartney could be Paul’s new wife.

You are forgiven. And if you think Earnest Sewn, True Religion and Citizens for Humanity might each be a cult, that’s okay, too. If I told you Kate Moss swears by Erotokritos would you think I was referencing a Chelsea sex club or a stylish frock? Console yourselves. Kate may know lines – fashion or otherwise – but she doesn’t know a line-item veto.

To a lot of Washington women, and men, fashion is a mystery, or simply a chore like washing the car or putting out the garbage – the sooner dispensed with the better. But there are some who try. Hillary Clinton seems to want to emerge from that unfortunate fashion rut she fell into with her Senate kit of dark man suits and jewel-colored flared shirts.To her credit, she’ll pop into Ann Hand on the downlow for some girly baubles.

Fifth Avenue’s Lisa Crawford on truth serum, and you’ll get an earful of juicy dish.What they know could spice more than a few columns.

But still, the insecurity rules. My friend the blond, bold-faced activist confessed she doesn’t go out before first asking herself, “What would Jackie wear?” The low-rise jeans, halter tops and baby-doll tee’s would end up in the recycle bin, that much is for certain.

My advice? Mix it up and have some fun. Goodness, in my closet I have couture as well as H&M. I also have one wardrobe for “everywhere else” and another that is just for Washington, because even silly girls like me want to be taken seriously by pundits, pols and Supreme Court justices.

IN WASHINGTON

146

When Condi Rice has that vaguely dominatrix thing going on it’s kind of interesting.

Nancy Pelosi gavels the House to order, but before filling that daily public role, she privately gets suited by Armani and coiffed at George’s. As for the men, don’t get me started on the populists who mingle with the common man in their ready for Meet the Press $3,500 bespoke suits.

To this end, there is a thriving style business just below the surface of the city’s official face – manicurists, hairstylists, make-up artists and, last but not least, a small army of personal shoppers and stylists. Put Georgetown’s Deb Johns and Saks

Readers wishing to get in touch with Michael can email her at: mstrange@washingtonlife.com

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IL LU STRATION BY J.C. SUA RÈ S

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